The Last of the Mandalorians
by Essie Aster
Summary: Once those doors of history are reopened, the current of time is reversed, and the carrier is unwillingly rushed to the past to relive old terrors and feel their pain anew.
1. Conspiracy

Title: The Last of the Mandalorians

Author: Essie Aster

Rating: PG-13

Category: Star Wars

Genre: Romance/Action/Adventure (sorta) leaning toward Drama

A/N: Ok, this is me giving in to my hopeless romantic side. I'm sorry, but I have to. shrug But hey, this is my first sappy romance, so it's ok. Just to set the stage a little, this story takes place seven years after AOTC. As you probably guess from the title, it's got Boba Fett in it. But he's not the main character. That honour goes to an OC of mine ;p. He disappears here and there, but he'll make a big come back in later chapters. :D This story is for all of you girls who fell in love with the man behind that really cool helmet in the original trilogy. If you don't love Fett like I do, well, I hope you still enjoy my story. Have fun!

Disclaimer: To clear things up, I do not own Star Wars or any of the characters. You probably could'a guessed that since I'm a girl and Star Wars was made before I was even born, but hey, I felt like adding a disclaimer to my story. The characters whose names you don't recognize as being from the movies, books, etc., are probably not from the movies, books, etc. They're my characters and, while I don't mind if you use them, ask me first, k? ;)

**Chapter 1**

**-Conspiracy**

A young female Human danced gracefully between two female Twi'leks on a dimly lit stage. The Human moved with the same grace as her two companions as they completed a choreographed battle told through the motions of dance. The Human was the same height and build as the two Twi'leks, a little over a meter and a half tall. As the trio spun the Twi'leks' bound lekku and the Human's fiery hair flew out behind them making for a dizzying spectacle and prompting cheers and catcalls from the male audience.

The two Twi'leks covered their violet skin in black leather clothes, fitted tight to their bodies. Their pants started at the hips and flared out around their bare ankles. The sides and inseams were slit to midway up their thighs and held together loosely by thin leather cording. They each wore short tops that left their stomach exposed with straps twisting down their arms. The Human wore a similar costume in blue, with the top overlaid with tiny netting.

At the end of the dancing battle the two Twi'leks stood on either side of the Human and gripped her arms, holding onto her shoulders with one hand and her wrists with another. Suddenly a fourth dancer appeared on the stage. The Twi'leks closed their eyes and turned their faces away, toward the audience. The fourth dancer, a Human male, stood to a full two meters with a shaved scalp covered in webbed tattoos. He wore black leather pants similar to the ones the Twi'leks wore, leaving his tattooed chest exposed. His entrance prompted a large response from the female fraction of the audience.

The man made a quick take to the audience, his youthful features stunningly attractive, before turning to the three unmoving dancers, his back to the audience. As he stared at the spread-eagled Human the audience stopped their cheering and began to murmur quietly. The male dancer's first movement silenced them completely.

He took one step that brought him within arm's reach of the other Human on the stage. Her face was expressionless but her pleading eyes betrayed fear. Her breath was heavy as the man circled her, running his finger tips lightly across her body. The two Twi'leks remained unmoving, and the woman's eyes were fixed straight forward. The music decrescendoed to an almost inaudible whisper in the silent room.

The man stopped behind the woman on his second circuit, running a finger under her chin and brushing his other hand against her thigh. Her eyes closed as her breathing grew heavier. When they opened again she was no longer looking straight forward, but up, where the back wall met the ceiling. The man pressed his body against her back, wrapping one arm under her outstretched arms and releasing one of the Twi'lek's hold on her shoulder with his hand and nuzzling his nose where the woman's shoulder joined her neck. As his other arm wrapped around her thin waist the two Twi'leks changed sides, still holding on to the woman's wrists, and stood slightly behind the man. The woman's arms were now crossed behind the man's neck and her face was turned to the side, away from the man.

The music started to crescendo as the man let go of the woman's waist and ran his hand up her body to take hold of one of her forearms. Once his grip was secure the Twi'leks let go and he dropped his other hand down to the woman's waist where it lingered until she pulled away. Someone in the crowd began to cheer and the noise level quickly reached the same place it had been before the long silence.

The two Twi'leks had disappeared as the two Human dancers continued their choreographed struggle. The woman freed herself and ran, only to be stopped at the other end of the stage when the two Twi'leks reappeared with metal rods as tall as they were. The Twi'leks spun the rods in unison, the dim lights sparkling on their reflective surfaces. They swirled in sync, slowly backing the Human across the stage until they stopped suddenly, dropping to their knees, their rods clashing together and forming an X above their heads.

The woman turned slowly and looked at the man, still in the same pose she had left him in. She took a deep, shaky breath as the man glided towards her, reaching out with both hands and cupping them around her cheeks. Her eyes closed and she bowed her head as he pushed his hands down her neck and shoulders and grabbed tightly onto her arms. She flinched as he spun her around violently, grabbing the back of her arms and pulling her into him at the same time the Twi'leks slammed their rods onto the stage floor. The impact created a loud clap and silenced both the audience and the music completely. All eyes were on the two Humans as the man crossed his arm over the woman's flat stomach. He held one arm out to his side, even with his shoulder, as he dragged his other hand up over her chest to grab hold of her jaw. With a jerk he pulled his hand across her, stretching his arms out to full span. The woman's head snapped in the same direction, as the Twi'leks again slammed their rods onto the stage floor. The woman's terrified gasp echoed in the completely silent room.

Every motion stopped and time seemed to stand still as the woman's body swayed, her legs buckling under her. Her muscles went slack and she collapsed gracefully at the man's feet. The audience roared as a sheer black curtain descended from the rafters and the lights on the small stage dimmed and went black.

A young Human about seventeen years of age sat close to a wall near the bar. He had been watching the dance with mild disinterest as he sipped at his drink, and was grateful when the crowd around the stage began to disperse.

The young man's dark eyes focused on a tall Falleen male who was seated close to the now vacant stage. The Falleen was flanked by two large Gamorreans, the only creatures in the club possessing visible weapons.

_Bodyguards,_ the young man concluded.

Weapons were prohibited in clubs and bars by law, but, this far under the city, rules like that were habitually broken and never enforced. Most owners would ask that, if someone absolutely had to have a weapon on them, they keep in concealed and not use it until they were outside. The request was usually accepted since most beings went to clubs to relax and not to start a firefight. Owners would also refuse to serve beings who were known to start brawls. It was a risky policy, but it worked more often than not. This club was the same as most.

The Falleen that the young man's attention was focused on, the only Falleen in the entire club, was a Black Sun Vigo who had, unfortunately for him, fallen out of favour with the higher-ups. With the size of the bounty on his head and the number of Black Sun hunters after him the young man did not wonder why the Falleen had employed the hog-like bodyguards and denied the club owner's request, though he was surprised to have tracked a man with a death-mark to such a public place.

'The smart ones always hide in plain sight,' the young man's father had taught him.

The Human unconsciously fingered the hollowed frame of the blaster tucked into his jacket. Not a very discrete place to hide a blaster, he had to admit, but it was not as if he could just waltz in here, inconspicuously, wearing full body armour.

The young man's attention was diverted momentarily as the three dancers appeared to the side of the stage. The two Twi'leks had their arms around the Human's waist as they stumbled out of a hidden doorway. The trio received multiple cat-calls from the drunks who were still clinging to the front of the stage. The females ignored them, but the Human turned and flashed a dazzling smile at the Falleen. The young man noted the Falleen's pleased reaction as the female blew him a dramatic kiss before she turned to the bar and said something to her friends. The Twi'leks laughed and melted into the crowd as the Human approached the bar. She leaned over, kissed the bartender's cheek, and asked for a drink. She looked around, searching for a seat. The young man realized that he would soon be having company, since the only open seats were the ones nearest him. He momentarily considered moving, but the woman had already noticed him and his view of the Falleen would be disrupted anywhere else.

The young woman sat on the stool and gratefully downed half of her drink. As she set down the glass, she looked at the young man out of the corner of her eye.

'You're never gonna get through his bodyguards,' she said in a quiet voice.

The young man started, unsure of how to respond to her.

'Don't worry,' she laughed, still not looking directly at him. 'You're not that obvious.'

He narrowed his eyes as he continued to watch the Falleen.

'What makes you think I'm after someone?' he asked.

'You've been here all night watching him,' she stated, turning toward the young man. 'But like I said, you're never gonna get past his bodyguards.'

Frustrated, the young man turned and leveled his gaze at her. 'Are you some Jedi that you can see the future?' he asked angrily.

'No,' she said with smile, keeping her voice cheerful. 'But I _can_ see about ten other bodyguards besides the two Gamorreans. By the way, they're just for show.'

The young man gritted his teeth and returned to watching the Falleen. Suddenly, he was able to pick out two more bodyguards within three meters of the Falleen. Whatever plans he had been formulating flew out the window as he found another one of the bodyguards.

'But,' the young woman continued, slipping off the stool and running a finger up the young man's arm. 'I'm willing to give you a hand if you'd like.' She rested her left hand on his shoulder, gently massaging his tight muscle.

The young man pushed her hand off his shoulder and turned to her, almost surprised to see her face just past his shoulder. 'I don't need your help.'

'Ah, yes,' she said, standing back up and tousling his thick black hair with her fingers. 'A boy is going to do what the Black Sun hunters have been trying to do for months. Right.' She started to walk away, running her index finger over the back of his neck.

In a lightning fast motion the young man grabbed her wrist and tugged on her arm, bringing her attention back to him. 'Touch me again,' he warned, 'and I'll kill you.'

The young woman laughed dismissively. 'I'm not so sure Boss-Thing would be very happy about that,' she said, referring to the owner of the club, Olimpiu.

As soon as he let go of her the young woman wrapped her arms around his neck and straddled him, pinning him to his chair. He grabbed her waist and tried to push her off, but, to his surprise, she was stronger than she looked.

'Sit still, and shut up,' she demanded.

Concerned about drawing too much attention to himself, the young man obeyed her. He consciously forced himself not to squirm in his discomfort.

The young woman smiled, playing with the hair on the back of his head.

'Stop that,' he ordered.

Still smiling, the woman ignored him. 'I know you want the bounty on Kre Kahn,' she said in little more than a whisper. 'I also know that you can't defeat all his bodyguards and still capture him. The bounty's been public for two months. You think the Black Sun hunters didn't try to get him before that? Now, I've got a plan that I'm willing to include you in. All you need to do is listen to me and the bounty's as good as yours.'

'What's in it for you,' he asked.

'I want out of this club, that's all.' She had stopped playing with his hair and leveled her blue eyes on him.

'And, if _I_ can't get past his bodyguards, what makes you think you can?' he asked, a hint of amusement in his voice.

The young woman blinked and flashed her dazzling smile at him. 'Watch and learn, young bounty hunter.'

With that she got off him, downed the rest of her drink, and headed back toward the stage. As she approached the Falleen stood and greeted her. She flashed a grin at him as she fell into his embrace.

'I enjoyed watching you dance again, Indis,' Kahn said in his deep enchanting voice.

The young woman, Indis, looked up at him and smiled, waiting for him to kiss her. With a half smile the Falleen bent slightly and captured her mouth in his, pulling her close to him. Indis pressed her small body against him, feeling solid muscle underneath his soft clothes. As they kissed she let her hand rest on his chest, idly noting the rhythm of the cold heart beneath.

When they pulled apart, Indis was pleased to see that his usually dark green skin had paled somewhat.

'You've been away too long, Kahn,' she said in a girlish whine.

'I've been busy,' he explained as he returned to his seat. Indis glanced around for an empty chair before accepting Kahn's silent invitation to make use of his lap. He wrapped his long arms around her as she held on to the back of his head and bit at his neck playfully, at the same time looking up and seeing the young bounty hunter's shocked expression.

'Who's that boy you were with over there?' Kahn demanded to know, gesturing towards the bar.

'Beats me,' she answered. 'He looked bored, so I gave him a bit of fun, that's all.'

Kahn chuckled and nibbled at her ear in response. Indis leaned back against Kahn's chest as he talked with the other men seated at the round table. She pretended to ignore most of the conversation, politely laughing when Kahn made one of his lame jokes and squirming slightly when he poked his fingers into her side.

After an hour of sitting silently, Indis grew tired and rested her forehead on Kahn's shoulder, nuzzling into his neck. She fell asleep there as Kahn continued to caress her body gently. She woke up two hours later with Kahn's hand on her thigh. The other men at the table were preparing to leave, and Kahn was trying to wake her.

'I have to go, darling,' he whispered in her ear.

She moaned, her voice muffled against his skin. 'Do you have to?'

Kahn laughed slightly. 'Yes,' he said, pulling her away from him and standing her to her feet. He stood in front of her and put his hands on her shoulders. She bowed her head and played with the waistline on his pants.

'When am I gonna see you again?' she asked, blinking sleepily and looking up at him.

Kahn caught her cheek in his hand and stooped to kiss her. She moaned slightly as he pulled her body into his and slipped his tongue into her mouth. Indis let his hands play over her body as he kissed her passionately. She knew it was his way of saying goodbye, and she knew to go along with it. She closed her eyes and ran her fingers through his long black hair until he pushed her away.

'I'll come for you tomorrow,' he promised. She smiled, noting again the change in his skin colour. He stooped to kiss her again, this time briefly, and squeezed her hand gently as he turned and followed the other men. One by one, seven of the ten bodyguards filed out after him.

'That girl will be the death of you,' one of the men, a Corellian, warned.

'Who, Indis?' Kahn asked. 'She's nothing to worry about,' he said casually. 'I have complete control of her. She's too afraid of me to do anything.'

'She's not as stupid as she acts,' another warned.

'Neither am I,' Kahn responded curtly.

After the party had gone, Indis yawned and stretched. The crowd of people was much thinner, although the club was still loud and quite full. She looked around blankly for a moment, trying to get her bearings when she saw the young bounty hunter watching her from the end of the bar.

Rubbing her eyes, Indis walked slowly back to the bar and leaned in between two Corellians.

'Wyatt,' she moaned, resting her head on her extended arm. 'Gimme something that'll wake me up.'

The bartender shuffled over to where Indis was stretched out on the bar. 'That Falleen make you sleepy, honey?' he asked in a gruff but loving voice.

'What do you think?' she asked rhetorically, yawning as she met Wyatt's beady eyes.

The bartender laughed and turned his back to her, preparing her drink. He turned back around after only a few seconds and handed her a glass that was filled with a blue liquid. Unsure of what it was, Indis sipped the drink gingerly and coughed.

'What are you trying to poison me with this time?' she asked.

Wyatt chuckled as he shuffled off to help another customer. 'Corellian ale.'

Indis let her head fall and hit the bar as she sighed.

'Hey honey,' the Corellian on her left said in a quiet, seductive voice as he stroked her arm. 'Aren't you a little young to be drinkin' that stuff.'

His companion laughed as Indis raised her head and smiled sweetly at the man. 'Aren't you a little old to be hitting on kids?'

The man's smile disappeared as Indis rolled her eyes and walked to the end of the bar with her drink, where she sat down and glared at the man until he looked away.

'He's right, you know,' the bounty hunter said, leaning against the back of his chair and sipping his own drink. 'You are too young to be drinking that stuff.'

Indis narrowed her eyes and turned her glare on the bounty hunter.

'You're no older than I am, so stuff it, bounty hunter,' she said, taking a long drink of the ale and grimacing.

'I'm drinking water,' he said, glancing at the dancer out of the corner of his eye.

Indis sighed and set her glass down on the bar. Spinning on her stool she leaned forward and stared into the bounty hunter's dark eyes. 'You try siting on Kre Kahn's lap for three hours and tell me you don't want a stiff drink.'

The bounty hunter chuckled. 'Ok, so you're close to him. Why should I trust you?'

'Because I can get him alone. Because you haven't got the foggiest idea how to capture him.'

'Point taken. But what makes you so sure you can trust me?'

'I don't trust you,' she answered, staring blankly at the bounty hunter. 'I can be alone with him and do just fine if you never show up. Thing is, you'd profit more from showing up, as opposed to leaving him to whatever other bounty hunter comes his way.'

The bounty hunter's lips curved in a half smile. 'You've got yourself a deal.'


	2. Betrayal

Chapter 2

-Betrayal

Indis rested her head on her folded arms and closed her eyes, ignoring the remaining liquid in the glass on the bar. The music had stopped playing and people were quickly leaving the club. The chrono behind the bar indicated that it was quarter to three in the morning. The club had been closed for the last fifteen minutes. Olimpiu was politely shooing the last of the drinkers out into the streets before he closed the door and locked it. Janitors started cleaning up the tables and floors while Wyatt busied himself with taking care of the bar.

'You gonna finish your drink, honey?' he asked Indis.

She answered a muffled no but thank you, and he patted her head and took the glass off the bar. She heard him drain the contents into a basin and set the glass on a rack full of similar glasses that was to be washed before the club opened again in nine hours.

From behind her someone began gently rubbing her shoulders, working out the tension in her muscles. She smiled and relaxed against the bar, keeping her eyes closed. The strong hands rubbed down the sides of her spine and back up, massaging her shoulder blades before starting down her arms. Indis grabbed hold of one of the hands and pulled the man down onto the stool next to her. She slowly opened her eyes and smiled at her friend, Kavan, the male Human dancer.

'You look beat,' he said tenderly.

'Mmmm,' she moaned, stifling a yawn. 'I wasn't before.'

'I noticed,' Kavan laughed. 'You should have seen Kahn's face when he saw you were asleep.'

Indis chuckled. 'I can imagine.'

'Ok, come on, Indie' Kavan said as Indis started to fall asleep again. 'Time for bed.'

Kavan let go of Indis's hand and stood behind her, taking her shoulders and pulling her into a sitting position. Indis groaned and swatted at Kavan.

'Indie, Wyatt's gotta clean the bar. Come to bed, ok?'

Indis whimpered slightly as Kavan stood her to her feet. 'Carry me, baby.'

Kavan laughed, easily picking the small woman up and holding her to his chest. Indis wrapped her arms around his neck and buried her face in his shirt as he carried her through a concealed door and down a dark hallway, into the room they shared. He dropped her onto the bed, and she laughed, rolling onto her side and curling into a ball.

'Oh, no you don't,' Kavan laughed, rolling Indis onto her back and straddling her. She giggled as he sat on her stomach to keep her from rolling back over. 'You gave Kahn three hours, now I want some time with you.'

Indis slapped at his hands and pretended to have trouble breathing. 'Alright already. Now get off me, you big oaf.'

Indis succeeded in knocking Kavan's hands off her stomach but he refused to get off her. Instead he let himself fall forward, slipping his arms under her back and biting her neck.

'Ow!' she yelped through her giggles. 'That hurt, you brat.'

Kavan pushed himself up slightly and looked into her eyes. The vivid blue was the same colour as the outfit she wore, and he knew that she wore it just for him. He had asked before that she not leave herself as exposed as the other dancers. Since then, she always wore a net shirt over her top.

Kavan let his eyes look over her face. It seemed like weeks since they had been together. They had been with eachother, yes, but they had both been exhausted from rehearsing their dance. Looking into the pools of blue, Kavan found his heart eased and his senses refreshed. It seemed to Kavan that, every time he looked at her again, she was more and more beautiful. Her skin was a creamy white dotted with small freckles. She was always so self-conscious of them, complaining that they made her look odd. But Kavan thought they only added to her beauty. It was true she looked nothing like her Twi'lek friends, to whom she always compared herself, but Kavan would not have her changed a bit.

He smiled as he caressed her cheek with the back of his hand. He dropped closer to her, his lips hovering centimeters above hers. He could feel the warmth of her breath on his face, but he waited a moment before brushing her lips with his. He looked down on her tenderly, his breathing growing heavy.

Indis smiled at Kavan, reaching up with one hand and resting it on the back of his neck, pulling him back to her. She locked her lips on his, kissing him deeply and honestly. Kavan was the only man she had ever really loved. He had come to Coruscant with her from Nar Shaddaa almost ten years ago, but they had known eachother all their lives. It had only been a few years ago when either had realized that they loved one another.

Indis slowly parted her lips under the pressure from Kavan's tongue. The warm muscle slipped into her mouth, caressing her own tongue and filling her with Kavan's essence. She squeezed her eyes shut as she felt Kavan's body press against her own. They kissed earnestly, passionately. Indis's breath was deep and heavy as she surrendered her body to Kavan's gentle embrace. Eventually the two dancers fell asleep in each other's arms, and spent the rest of the night unmoving.

* * *

Indis woke to the sound of music. There was a band on the stage in the club, rehearsing for its performance later on in the day. She rolled over and glanced at the chrono on the nightstand. It was ten in the morning. They still had two hours before the club reopened. She rolled back over and pulled the thin sheet up over her bare shoulders, snuggling against Kavan's warm body.

Her movement woke him, and he lifted his arm from the bed and rubbed her back gently. Opening his eyes, he looked down at Indis. The thongs that had held her red hair in place had come out during the night and her hair spilled over her shoulders, softly framing her face. He smiled, reaching his other hand across his chest and taking a strand of her long hair, twirling it in his fingers.

'You should let your hair down more often,' he said quietly.

'Do you want me to leave it down tonight?' she asked, resting her head on his shoulder.

He kissed the top of her head, breathing in the scent of her hair. He shook his head. 'Uh uh,' he answered. 'You have to go with the Falleen.'

Indis laughed and ran her fingers over Kavan's smooth chest. 'Then I'll just have to put it back up again, won't I?'

Kavan rolled onto his side and pulled Indis into his strong embrace. 'I love you so much, Indie.' His voice was filled with emotion. 'I wish I didn't have to share you with Kahn.'

'I know,' Indis whispered as she wrapped her arms around Kavan. 'I know.'

Indis truly hoped the bounty hunter would stick to his word. She doubted he would take her away from Coruscant, and, honestly, she had no desire to leave, but she had to make up something. She wanted Kahn dead so badly, and she was prepared to do whatever it took. If that meant deceiving Kavan and putting herself in danger she was willing to pay that price. As she breathed in Kavan's scent, she earnestly wished that all would go well that night and she would not have to sleep with Kahn again.

Indis stayed in Kavan's arms for another hour, each simply enjoying the other's presence. They only roused themselves when Dima, Indis's friend and fellow dancer, knocked on their door to warn them that Olimpiu wanted them up and ready to go within the next half hour.

Indis put on clothes similar to those she had worn the night before. They were the same shade of violet as her friends' skin, and the netting and leather cording were black. She let Kavan brush her long hair once he was dressed. She knew how much he loved her hair so she always let him do it.

'You wanna do my hair tonight?' she asked, arching her back and looking upside-down at Kavan.

Kavan grinned and kissed her nose. 'I'd love to.'

Suddenly their door rattled under Olimpiu's fist. 'I want you two out here in five minutes,' he hollered.

Indis rolled her eyes and grinned at Kavan.

* * *

The club opened at noon, as it always did, and the customers quickly filled the open room. The dancers were required to be out of their rooms even though they never started dancing until after six. Their jobs were not just to dance but also to entertain the customers, to keep them at the club buying more food and drinks. Indis hated that part of her job. It was how she had met Kre Kahn originally three years ago. It had only been within the last year that he had begun to take any sort of interest in her, but she was always afraid that she would meet someone else like him.

When Kahn had first started to get close to her, it was true Indis was attracted to him. She had come dangerously close to falling for him and betraying Kavan, which was part of the reason she hated Kahn so much. What she had not known, and what trapped her, was that Falleens secreted certain pheromones that were supposedly irresistible to any female. It was only because of Kavan's loyalty and love that she was able to break free from Kre Kahn's spell. It was Kavan who told her about the Falleens' abilities, and, like any magic trick, once the secret is discovered it looses its power. Since then, Indis had let Kahn believe what he wanted to believe, that she was his and that she loved him. She let Kahn have her whenever he wanted, afraid that, if she refused, he would discover her secret. Kahn was right about her, she was terrified of him. She feared that, if Kahn learned about Kavan, the Falleen would kill the one person who really mattered to her. She had seen the evil Kahn was capable of, heard rumours of unspeakable crimes he had committed. And she was too afraid to do anything about it, that was until now. She was tired of living in fear, and she worried that she would not be able to keep up her charade any longer and that he would loose interest in her.

Indis looked tenderly at Kavan. He was seated between two young women, his arm around one and the other resting her head on his shoulder, the same place Indis had rested only hours before. She did not worry that Kavan was being unfaithful to her. She knew that, no matter what she did, he would always love her. He had been with her since her earliest memory. When she needed to be protected, he was by her side. When she had been forced to flee her homeworld, he went with her, helping her to find a new home and keeping her safe.

Kavan looked toward Indis as he tousled one of the girls' hair. He smiled at Indis tenderly, reassuringly. She tried to smile back but found her heart too heavy for even such a simple gesture. She turned away, choking back a sob and blinking back tears. Kavan tried to ignore the stab of pain in his heart and turned back to the two women at his sides.

Indis was about to ask Wyatt for a drink when the Corellian from the night before leaned in next to her.

'Hey little miss,' he greeted smoothly.

Indis turned away, in no mood to deal with the man. Surprising her the Corellian touched her face and gently forced her to look at him.

'Why so sad?' he asked, entranced by her blue eyes.

'I'm not sad,' she stated flatly, narrowing her eyes at him.

'Aww, come on now, be a little nicer to a tired pilot, won't ya?' The Corellian let go of her chin and started to rub the back of his fingers against Indis arm.

'I can be civil,' Indis replied curtly, looking hard into the man's eyes, 'but you won't get any further than touching me.'

The pilot raised his hands in mock surrender. 'I just want a decent conversation with a pretty lady,' he explained. 'Anyway, your Faleen friend isn't here, so what are you so worried about?'

Indis's anger flared against the man. She hated people treating her like some prostitute. She was a dancing girl and that was all. The only reason she slept with Kre Kahn was because she had to. But Indis hid her anger, and the Corellian did not notice, or did not ask about it. He returned to stroking her arm and staring at her.

'Why do you wear this netting?' he asked, picking at the tiny threads with his fingers. 'Doesn't it get uncomfortable?'

'No.'

The Corellian chuckled. 'You're not a very social person, are you?'

'No.'

'You want a drink?' he asked, brushing his fingers against her waist.

Indis squirmed away from him. 'No.'

'Uh, excuse me,' a familiar voice interrupted shyly.

The Corellian turned to the tall man standing behind Indis.

'I'm sorry to interrupt you two, but Olimpiu needs to see Indis,' Kavan said, resting his hands on Indis shoulders.

The Corellian sighed, waiving dismissively and turned to Wyatt, ordering a glass of Corellian ale.

Kavan led Indis backstage and stopped in one of the dark, unused dressing rooms. He closed the door and turned on one of the old lights. Taking Indis's hands, he leaned back against a counter and looked deep into her eyes.

'What is it, Indie?' he asked, stroking her cheek with the back of his hand. 'What's the matter?'

Indis bowed her head, trying to hide her tears. Kavan winced to see her cry and pulled her into his embrace. He stood silently, rubbing her back and letting her cry for as long as she needed. Once her tears had subsided a little, he pushed her away and stooped to her eye level.

'Tell me what's wrong, Indie,' he said, brushing away her tears. 'I haven't seen you cry in years.'

'I'm afraid,' she said honestly. She found it next to impossible to lie to Kavan. It would only hurt him, since he could see through any deception.

'Of Kahn?' he asked.

Indis nodded her head and stared at the floor.

'Aww, baby, come here,' he said, holding her close. She buried her face in his silky shirt and forced the last of her tears away. 'I want you to be extra careful tonight, Indie,' he said, tangling his fingers in her long hair. 'There's a bounty on his head, a really big one. I want you to promise me something.'

Indis nodded. Not satisfied Kavan lifted her chin with his finger and looked into her eyes.

'Promise me.'

Again Indis nodded.

'If something happens, and someone comes after him, you get out of the way. Don't get involved.' His voice dropped to a choked whisper. 'I don't know what I would do if something happened to you.'

'I promise,' Indis whispered, loosing herself in his dark gaze.

Kavan smiled and kissed her lightly, barely brushing her lips with his. Indis swallowed back her emotions and forced a smile.

'Come on, no more tears,' Kavan ordered, trying to make his voice light. 'You're gonna make me cry.'

The two laughed together as Kavan turned out the light and lead Indis back through the backstage passages and out into the club.

Feeling a hundred times better Indis was ready to do what was required of her. She snuck up behind the Corellian, her bare feet making almost no sound on the cold tiled floor, and tickled his sides with her fingers, her mood greatly lightened. He spun around quickly as she darted to his other side and leaned against the bar next to him. He turned the other way and, with an intoxicated grin, ordered Indis a glass of Corellian ale.

* * *

Indis barely touched her drink but continued her conversation with the pilot for another two hours. The band started playing around three, and by that time the Corellian was so drunk Olimpiu had to escort him out of the club and into an air-taxi.

Indis drifted around the club, striking up conversations with men who were by themselves or looked bored. She allowed herself to relax a bit, and even laugh, as she met some new people and talked to old acquaintances.

Around six Indis began to look for the bounty hunter but never saw him come in. When Kre Kahn arrived two hours later the bounty hunter had still not appeared, and she feared that he had decided not to follow her plan. Indis sat with Kahn and ate supper with him until she had to warm up for her dance. She kissed him goodbye and left the table as several of his companions from the previous night joined him.

She met Dima and her sister Kari backstage and did her stretches with them. Once they were done, Indis fixed one of the thongs that twisted around Kari's lekku. Kari thanked her, and they hurried on stage as the music started.

It was the same dance as the night before but the audience was no less attentive. There were many people who had not yet seen it, but even the ones who had stayed silent during the same parts and cheered just as loudly as those who had not seen it.

By the time the dance was over, Indis wanted nothing more than to fall asleep in Kavan's arms. Unlike the previous night, Indis returned to the room she shared with Kavan and took a quick sonic shower. Kavan was sitting on the dresser waiting for her when she came out.

'Olimpiu was looking for you,' he informed her as she let her robe fall and put on a thin iridescent blue dress. 'He said Kahn was anxious to leave and is waiting for you.'

Indis growled as she approached Kavan. 'I don't want to go anywhere with that arrogant, egotistical, son of a -'

Kavan stopped her, catching her mouth in his and pulling her into him by her shoulders. They remained unmoving for a long blissful moment as they drank in eachother's passion.

Suddenly they both jumped when Olimpiu banged on the door and pushed it open. The large creature, neither Kavan nor Indis knew exactly what species he was, stomped into the room and glared at the dancers with his angry eyes.

'You get out there this minute, Indis, or you're both fired,' he growled.

Kavan jumped off the dresser and started to guide Indis past Olimpiu to the door but she refused to budge.

'I would, but Kahn hates it when my hair's down. Give me two minutes and I'll be ready,' she said with a charming smile.

'Two minutes,' Olimpiu growled, 'no more.' He turned and stomped out of the room, slamming the door shut behind him.

Indis looked above and behind her at Kavan and grinned. He stooped and kissed her before quickly brushing her hair and braiding it into one thick braid that hung down past her thighs. With a quick embrace, he hurried her out the door.

Kahn stood near the stage, impatiently drumming his fingers on the tabletop. Indis approached him with a charming smile, but even her tender kiss did nothing to pacify the angry Falleen. Wrapping his arm around her waist and pulling her to his side, he whispered threateningly into her ear.

'Don't make me wait again,' he warned as they started out of the club.

Indis's smile faltered as they passed into the night. They immediately stepped into a waiting cloud car, followed by three of the large bodyguards. Indis sat next to Kahn, his arm around her and her hand in his, resting on his lap.

One of the bodyguards said something to Kahn that Indis was unable to understand. She felt Kahn's muscles tense slightly as he replied in the same language. He glanced at Indis out of the corner of his eye. She was staring at their entwined fingers, her eyes unfocused and her mind drifting back to her conversation with the bounty hunter at the club. She had told him where Kahn always took her, a large upper level palace paid for with Black Sun blood money. It took ten minutes to get to from the night club she worked and lived at. The small palace was well protected, even more so since the bounty on Kahn was posted, but the hunter had been confident that he could get by the security.

'You're distracted, darling,' Kahn said, breaking Indis away from her thoughts.

Indis looked up into Kahn's black eyes. 'Just a little,' she admitted, rubbing her fingers against his.

Kahn leaned slowly into Indis and kissed her for a long time. When he pulled away he looked at her suspiciously. She smiled up at him blankly, trying to push her fears out of her mind.

'What are you afraid of?' he demanded to know.

Indis started as her breath caught and her heart pounded beneath her breast. The Falleen noted the change and removed his arm from around her shoulders. The three bodyguards across from them loosened the blasters in their holsters.

Indis swallowed hard, her mind racing for an answer. 'It's just something Kavan said.'

'Kavan?' Kahn interrupted.

'He's one of the other dancers at the club,' she said, acting as if Kahn would not know who Kavan was. She had second thoughts about bringing him up, but it was too late to stop.

'I know who he is, Indis.' Kahn was irritated with the girl beside him. He knew she was more intelligent than she acted, but, at times, she seemed to have less wit than his Gamorrean guards. Keeping the irritation he felt out of his voice, Kahn questioned Indis. 'What did he say?'

'He said there were people after you,' she answered honestly. Indis was unable to completely mask her fear and it peeked through her voice. She only hoped that he believed the explanation she gave him for it. She had learned that Kahn was even harder to fool than Kavan. Indis's best strategy was to use only part of the truth with him.

'Kavan needs to stop interfering or he's going to end up dead,' Kahn informed her.

Indis swallowed hard. At that moment the cloud car stopped and two of the bodyguards stepped out before Kahn helped Indis out.

Once she and Kahn were inside his palace and the door was locked Kahn lifted Indis's arms above her head and started to search her body with his hands. Indis remained silent as his fingers probed every possible place she could have hid something. His hands traveling up her legs he grabbed her inner thigh, and she gasped sharply.

'What's wrong?' Indis asked Kahn as he searched under her breasts.

'It's just a precaution, darling,' he said as he continued his search.

'You don't trust me,' she said sadly.

Backing her into him by pulling her waist, he whispered quietly into her ear, 'No, I don't.'

Leaving one hand on her waist he led her down a long corridor and through a large foyer. Kahn ignored the presence of the twelve guards as the couple passed through an automatic door. Kahn locked the door as he shoved Indis away from him. She stopped her fall by putting her hands out and barely catching the side of the bed.

Indis turned quickly to see Kahn striding toward her, his expression fierce and angry. He grabbed the top of her braid, pulling her head back so she was looking up at him. Indis whimpered in protest, covering his hand with hers and pulling at his long fingers.

'You didn't actually believe I wouldn't find out about you, did you?' he asked, glaring at the girl he held.

She opened her mouth to speak, but he silenced her immediately. 'Don't insult me with your excuses.'

Indis tried hard to free herself from Kahn's grip. He let her hair go and smacked her, sending the small girl across the room. Landing hard on the floor, she tasted blood in her mouth.

Indis scrambled to her feet and edged away from Kahn as he stalked toward her. She soon found herself backed against a wall. Desperate, she lunged at him, trying to get past him. Kahn caught both of her wrists in his iron grip, leaving bruises where his fingers touched her skin.

Quickly overpowering and subduing her, Kahn took another step towards her so their bodies were nearly touching. Indis could feel his hot breath as he leaned in and whispered. 'I don't know how you resisted me, but nobody double crosses me and lives. Nobody!' He shouted his last word, and Indis flinched, looking away from him.

Indis's mind was working rapidly to formulate a plan, but she could not find the strength to fight him. Finally, she resorted to the only way she knew she had any hope of saving herself.

'Forgive me, Kahn,' she pleaded, looking up to meet his eyes.

The Falleen shook his head. 'No,' he said quietly.

'I'm begging you, Kahn.' Indis's voice was filled with false tears. 'I can be anything you want me to be.' Indis felt Kahn's grip loosen on her wrists. She lowered her eyes and raised her hands, Kahn releasing her from his grasp. She ran her hands over his muscular chest, gently unhooking the fastenings on his tunic and slipping her fingers under the thin fabric. She returned her gaze to his black eyes as she ran her hands up his neck.

'Anything you want, Kahn.' Indis let her hands travel up to his jaw.

In a quick, violent motion Kahn grabbed her hand and pulled it away from him. His movement slammed her body hard against the wall, leaving her dazed. Indis stared uncertainly into Kahn's eyes. She could see the effect she had on him as the colour of his skin paled slightly, but she could not read his expression, nor could she guess how he would respond to her advance.

Kahn hesitated for a long moment before leaning into her and kissing her. Indis's fingers danced lightly over his tunic, unfastening the rest of it and pushing it off his shoulders. Kahn let go of Indis long enough to slip his arms out of his sleeves, and Indis took the opportunity to get her back away from the wall. Kahn put his leg behind hers and tripped her so she fell backwards onto the bed.

As Kahn landed on top of her, Indis slipped her tongue into his mouth, filling it with the taste of her blood, and arching against him. She moved her hand firmly along his inner thigh, opening her eyes to watch his reaction. His eyes rolled back and he groaned, releasing her mouth and burying his, now almost red, face in her neck. He pushed her dress off of her shoulder as she wrapped her arms around his bare torso, gently rubbing small circles in his back. Khan began to interchangeably bite and kiss her neck, delighting in her whimpers and cries of pain. He enjoyed the feel of her small form beneath his, the rhythm of their bodies moving as one. His hands began to clutch at her, caress her, as his mind slowly began to clear.

Kahn realized what Indis had been doing to him - tempting him, seducing him. Already she had gone too far, completely disarming him. His hands slowly traveled up her body and his fingers wrapped around her neck. She choked and released him, grabbing his hands and trying to pull them away from her. Whatever pleasure he had found in possessing Indis's body was doubled as he watched her struggle for her life.

Indis kicked her feet violently, trying to get out from under Kahn's body. Her eyes were wide with panic. She knew there was no way to free herself, but she acted solely on instinct. Her brain began to fog as her oxygen deprived blood failed to reach it. Soon she was too weak to resist him. Tears welled up in her eyes as she slipped into unconsciousness.

Suddenly the door hissed open, smoking from a hot blaster bolt. Kahn looked up and watched one of his guards swoon in the doorway and collapse.

Air rushed back into Indis's lungs, and her mind raced toward consciousness as Kahn let go of her neck and lifted her off the bed. He held her in front of him, using her as a shield as he stepped away from the bed.

Indis's eyes fluttered open, and she looked up in time to see a large figure block the doorway. As her vision cleared she recognized a familiar image that struck fear in the hearts of criminals and senators alike.

A man wearing green Mandalorian battle armour stepped into the room and leveled a blaster pistol at her. Gritting her teeth she rammed her elbow in to Kahn's gut, forcing the air out of his lungs and releasing his grip on her. She shoved him backwards and darted out of the way as a blaster bolt, set to kill, struck his bare chest.

Indis looked up in fear as the bounty hunter turned his helmeted head toward her. She waited for him to move, her mind darting back to what Kavan had said.

'If something happens, and someone comes after him, you get out of the way. Don't get involved. I don't know what I would do if something happened to you.'

The last thing she saw was the bounty hunter aim his blaster at her and fire before she hit the floor and everything went dark.

**  
**


	3. Waiting

Chapter 3

-Waiting

Kavan stood in the concealed doorway as he watched Kahn lead Indis out of the club. He took several deep breaths to calm his nerves before stepping out of the doorway. He glanced to the side and saw Olimpiu watching him from near the bar. Kavan nodded slightly to his boss, then turned and scanned the room.

The club was filled beyond capacity, as it usually was this time of night. The bar was crowded with all different kinds of beings, although most of them were Human. There were increasingly less non-Human's on the capital city/planet in the past few years. The new Empire seemed to favour Humans over the rest of the species in the galaxy, although Humans were, by far, outnumbered.

Kavan turned his mind from politics as he spotted a group of young women, seated at one of the round tables near the stage and staring at him. He smiled cordially and bowed, prompting an extended series of loud giggles. Kavan chuckled to himself as he quickly covered the distance between his post and the table. When he reached it, the women at the table pretended not to notice him until he squatted down to their level and politely cleared his throat. All four women turned to him immediately.

'Mind if I join you?' he asked, receiving more giggles before he was offered a seat.

After a few moments of light conversation one of the women stood up and asked where the latrine was. When Kavan directed her to the other side of the club the other three stood and made to go with her. Two of the women pushed down on the third's shoulders, shoving her back into her seat. They giggled as they walked off and disappeared into the crowd.

Kavan examined the woman they had left behind, judging that she was perhaps nineteen or twenty years old. She had shimmering auburn hair complemented by vivid green eyes. Her face had the look of timeless innocence, and her dress betrayed her social status. He knew she was from the upper-levels before she even opened her mouth.

The woman had been staring at her hands while Kavan studied her. Shyly she glanced up then returned her gaze to her hands and flushed a deep crimson.

Kavan smiled slightly to himself. Trying to ease the woman out of her discomfort he introduced himself. 'My name's Kavan,' he said, extending his hand to her in greeting.

Still looking down the woman placed her thin hand in his. 'Cano Narsella,' she said with a small twang in her accent. She quickly returned her hand to her lap and continued to stare at it.

'I've never seen you before,' Kavan said, relaxing against the back of his chair. 'Is this your first time here?'

Cano nodded but said nothing.

'How do you like it so far?'

At this Cano looked up, her green eyes dancing. 'Oh, it's wonderful!' she exclaimed. 'Your dance was amazing. And that woman, the one with the long red hair, I've never seen a Human move like that. She was better than the two Twi'leks!'

Kavan laughed. 'I'll tell her that when she comes back.'

Suddenly shy again, Cano's smile faltered, and she looked back down at her hands. Leaning towards her slightly, Kavan placed his fingers under her chin and gently tilted her head up so she was looking at him.

'How 'bout I buy you a drink,' he offered.

Cano shook her head, her eyes wide with confused innocence. 'I've never had anything like what they sell here before.'

Kavan smiled, not at all surprised at what Cano had said. 'Then I'll get you something light, ok?'

Cano smiled and nodded eagerly.

Chuckling to himself Kavan stood and strode toward the bar. He found an opening at the end of the bar where there were few beings around.

Noticing the boy immediately, Wyatt hefted his bulk over to where Kavan stood.

'What can I get for you, son?' he asked.

Kavan turned and pointed to Cano, who was sitting at the table watching him. When she saw him point to her she averted her eyes and blushed again.

'Something light for the lady over there,' Kavan answered.

'I've got just the thing,' Wyatt said, waddling back to the drink dispensers nearer the centre of the bar. When he returned, he gave Kavan a glass filled with a sparkling clear liquid. Kavan thanked the bartender, grabbed a glass of water for himself, and returned to his seat.

'Thank you,' Cano said quietly as she sipped at the drink. Her expression skewed into confusion as she sipped again. 'It's sweet,' she commented.

Kavan chuckled. 'It's called Flower Spice,' he explained. 'It's made from the nectar of a flower from Alderaan.'

Cano smiled sweetly and giggled. 'I like it,' she said, taking another sip. Setting her glass on the table she stared at it, tracing the lip of the glass with her finger.

'Where did you learn how to dance like that?' Cano asked, making her own attempt at conversation.

Kavan opened his mouth to speak but his reply was cut short by a loud shout and blaster fire behind him. Kavan stood and spun, his eyes travelling instantly to a large crowd at the bar. Two of the bouncers near the entrance bounded quickly to where Kavan stood and glanced at him silently. Kavan nodded to them and joined the pair as they pushed their way through the crowd. Olimpiu was making his way laboriously to the bar, causing patrons to scuttle out of his way.

The three Human men finally broke through the crowd, only to step on the arm of an unconscious Nikto sprawled out on the floor. Looking up they saw the culprit, a bounty hunter, with a blaster still in his hands. The Zabrak looked at the trio with smug arrogance and raised his eyebrows in a challenge. Wary of the blaster, the three separated slightly and stopped moving altogether.

'What's the meaning of this!' Olimpiu demanded, pushing his way through the rest of the onlookers.

The bounty hunter glanced sidelong at the club owner and smirked. 'Just business.'

'Well, take your business elsewhere!' Olimpiu growled, taking another step forward, not caring about the weapon that turned toward him.

The three Humans advanced threateningly, receiving a short, dark glare from the Zabrak. To their relief the bounty hunter nodded slightly and complied, hefting the unconscious Nikto over his shoulder and carrying him out of the club. Olimpiu huffed and disappeared into the crowd.

Kavan and the two bouncers looked at eachother in relief. One of the bouncers, the taller of the two rolled his eyes and chuckled. 'That was fun.'

'Sure, Jax,' Kavan patted him on the shoulder, laughing with his two friends as he shook his head. When he returned to his seat the two bouncers returned to their posts near the entrance.

Cano looked up at him, her green eyes frightened and concerned. 'What was that all about?'

'Huh?' Kavan asked, his voice muffled by his drink. Swallowing the cool liquid, he set his glass down and answered, 'Just another bounty hunter. Nothing to worry about.' He cast her fears away with his crooked smile as the other three young women returned to the table, giggling.

* * *

Kavan sat at the bar spinning a small glowstick in his fingers. The only sounds were the buzz of the dim lights, the swish of the water washing the glasses, and the slop of the janitors mopping up the floor. He sighed deeply as he glanced up at the chrono behind the bar. It was six in the morning. The club had been closed for over three hours, and the janitors had almost finished up.

Kavan yawned as he rested his head on his hand, impatiently clicking the glowstick against the counter top. He tried not to think about Indis and Kahn, but he could find nothing else to think of. He had already counted the number of different bottles behind the bar, renamed the colours of the liquids in them, and numbered the tiles on the wall they were propped up against. He watched the chrono tick past the minutes, trying to think of something new to occupy his time.

'Have you counted the number of cracks in the tiles yet?' a gruff but friendly voice asked from behind him.

With a slight smile and a soft chuckle Kavan shook his head, glancing over to see Wyatt heft his weight onto one of the stools next to him.

'Well, in case you were wondering,' Wyatt continued with a grunt as he managed to balance himself on the too small seat, 'there are nine thousand seven hundred and eighty four.'

Kavan laughed, dropping the hand that was supporting the weight of his head and turning toward the grinning bartender. 'How many times have you counted?' he asked.

Wyatt hesitated a moment, seeming to think about the question before answering. 'Seventy two,' he replied. 'And look,' he said, pointing to a tile near them, 'that one happened three days ago.'

'It's a wonder none of them haven't just crumbled off the wall,' Kavan said dryly.

Wyatt chuckled, his whole body moving up and down as he did so. 'It's only a matter of time, my boy,' he said, patting Kavan on the back.

The corner of Kavan's mouth quirked up into a half smile as his eyes drifted again to the chrono. Wyatt quickly sobered up and looked at the young Human with concern.

'Try not to think about it, son,' he advised, his voice quieter and lacking its previous mirth. 'Dwelling on it won't help Indis.'

Kavan sighed, tearing his eyes off the chrono. 'I know,' he said, clicking the glowstick against the counter top again. Kavan watched the movement of the glowstick for a few minutes before he let it come to rest on the bar. Resting his head on his hand again, he turned back to Wyatt, who was still watching him.

'You know,' he started, 'it's not that I don't trust Indis. I just...I worry that Kahn could hurt her. I mean, he doesn't exactly have a good track record.'

Wyatt's big mouth curved into a sympathetic smile as he silently listened to the Human voice his concerns.

'And now that the bounty on him's gone up...' Kavan sighed and shrugged, letting his hand drop and resuming his play with the glowstick. 'What if one of the bounty hunters gets to him?'

'Indis is a tough kid,' Wyatt reminded Kavan. 'She'll put up a pretty good fight.'

'That's what I'm afraid of.' Kavan's eyes drifted back to the chrono then quickly returned to the glowstick. 'Most girls would just hide, but Indie won't. I know she won't.'

'Tell you what,' Wyatt suggested. 'Why don't we go take a look at the place, ease your mind a little bit, and then you go to bed and I'll wake you when Indis calls? Ok?'

Kavan forced a soft smile. 'Ok.'


	4. Life Kept Silent

Chapter 4

-Life Kept Silent

An armour clad bounty hunter walked into the Twirling Twi'lek, part of a Black Sun owned cluster of night clubs and bars that made up this particular section of the Coruscant underworld. He passed through the illuminated entrance quickly and scanned the area. Several dancers teased patrons, coaxing them into giving more and more money. The shadier customers lounged in the back where it was darkest, wary of the very visible newcomer.

The bounty hunter used the infrared scanner built into his helmet to locate the creature he was looking for in the dark. Once he found the Dug, he switched to normal vision and assured himself that it was the correct one. The Dug was watching him, using his 'hands' to play with the beads on the end of a flap of skin that hung over his mouth. He continued to play with the melted looking flap until the bounty hunter loomed over him.

The Hunter casually tossed a small vial and a holocron onto the dirty table top. Quietly, the Dug picked up the vial and examined it, running a quick DNA check and raising his brow ridges questioningly at the bounty hunter.

'Has the great Fett lost his edge?' he asked with a sinister chuckle. 'Ten years ago you would have brought Kahn in alive, not in a bottle.'

The bounty hunter looked down at the Dug, his expression unreadable behind his black visor. He remained silent, not caring to explain himself to a Black Sun operative.

The Dug chuckled again, this time a hint of nervousness edging the sound. He picked up the holocron with his other 'hand' and examined it. 'A treat for Togos, no?' he asked, again receiving no reply. 'Whatever,' he continued nervously. 'I'll contact my boss and he'll send you the bounty.'

'You're going to pay me now,' the bounty hunter stated, his mechanical voice making the Dug freeze.

'Ah, yes, in due time,' the Dug said with another nervous chuckle.

The bounty hunter's hand rested lightly on the hilt of one of the blasters strapped to his thigh.

'Hm, yes,' the Dug said, thinking again about paying the dangerous Human in front of him. 'I'll uh...' he paused, showing the bounty hunter that he was reaching for a datapad. He pulled it out with one 'hand' and set it on the tabletop at the same time he pulled out a small blaster.

The Dug muttered angrily in Huttese as he fired off a shot at the bounty hunter. The shot went wild and scared one of the dancing girls, drawing the attention of the surrounding patrons.

The Dug looked up nervously at the bounty hunter as Fett, his blaster already in his palm, fired off a shot, burning the Dug's 'hand'. With a cry of pain the Dug dropped the blaster and shook his 'hand' furiously. He cringed as Fett trained the blaster on his more vital parts and quickly used his good 'hand' to transfer the credits to the bounty hunter.

Fett hesitated, using a link in his visor to check the credit amount in one of the accounts he used. Once assured that the transfer was legitimate Fett turned, keeping his eye on the 360 display in his visor, and left the cantina. Cradling his wounded limb the Dug glared at the departing bounty hunter.

'Koochoo murishani,' he muttered under his breath, turning his glare on the overly curious onlookers who quickly returned to their own business.

With a huff, the Dug pulled a small com-link out of his pocket and activated a secured frequency. He waited for several minutes before a gruff voice replied on the other end.

'Tell Togos Kahn's been, uh, disintegrated,' the Dug said quietly. There was a raspy chuckle on the other end before a short confirmation of the message and a sign off. Irritated and angry, the Dug jammed the com-link back into his pocket and sat fuming for a while before ordering another drink.

* * *

The early morning hours were dark and cool, but the sky of Coruscant was filled with hurrying cloud cars and buzzing speeders. It had been over a month since Kavan had been to the upper levels, weeks since he had left the club. Comparatively, the Coruscant morning was much quieter than the noise of the club, the sounds of the engines muffled by the expanse of sky. As Wyatt's cloud car ascended the levels, for a time, the Imperial military's, the stormtrooper's, presence grew more and more noticeable. Then, after a while, as they reached the top four levels the stormtroopers were replaced by armourless sentries, easier to look at and far less terrifying, but no less formidable. The system's single star glinted gently over the metallic horizon, illuminating the synthetically lit sky and paling the deep azure canopy.

But the military presence and the beauty of the sunrise, both unusual and normally welcomed sites for a resident of the lower levels, were lost on the anxious lover. Kavan stared straight ahead as Wyatt piloted the cloud car on the course Indis had described to him after Kahn had first taken her away. Kavan tried to clear his head, but he could not shake the uneasy knot in the pit of his stomach. The short journey seemed to take hours. When they finally arrived at Kahn's palace the sight he found frightened Kavan more than anything he had ever imagined. Cloud cars lined up outside the front of the palace, Black Sun troops swarmed around, outside, and inside, weapons drawn and on guard. The light from the rising star backdropped the dark scene, casting deep shadows across the ominous entrance.

Wyatt set the cloud car to hover across the open space, about fifty meters away from the Black Sun troops. Both occupants were silent, watching the scene intently, uncertain of what to do or think. Slowly the Human rose to his feet, instinctively and effortlessly balancing himself as the horde a the door parted to admit a dark figure. His eyes dazzled by the light from behind, it took a moment for Kavan to be able to see two distinct forms coming out of the palace. The first, a stout humanoid, seemingly the one in charge, was followed quickly by a large armoured and helmeted Hunter with a small body in his arms. Kavan immediately recognized Kn'or Bultâr, the Black Sun's most notorious Hunter. Kavan's breath caught as the Hunter stepped out of the deep shadow. The body in his arms hung limp and lifeless. Wyatt spotted the girl just as Kavan moved to exit the cloud car.

'There's nothing you can do right now, son,' Wyatt rumbled gently as his big hand took an unyielding hold on the young man's arm.

'No!' he cried, his voice quiet and broken. His dark eyes were wide with panic as he watched the Hunter pack his life into one of the covered cloud cars.

'Indie!' Kavan screamed, his choked voice echoing across the empty space to Kahn's palace.

Bultâr looked up and immediately spotted the lone cloud car. His hands, now free of the girl's body, quickly gripped the handle of his blaster. Wyatt, the silent observer to these events, slammed the cloud car out of hover and into motion, knocking the Human back into his seat as a blaster bolt hummed through their previous location.

'Go back, Wyatt!' Kavan screamed, twisting around to look back at the palace. Interrupting Wyatt's silence, Kavan looked at the large creature and commanded, 'Go back!'

'Kavan, you'll be no good to Indis dead,' Wyatt tried to explain.

Ignoring Wyatt, Kavan made a futile attempt to turn the cloud car around. Lovingly, but firmly, Wyatt grabbed the young man's shoulder and focused his beady eyes on Kavan's.

'Listen to me, boy,' he demanded. 'There's nothing you can do for her right now. You'll only get yourself killed. Bide your time. We'll come back for Indis,' he promised.

Kavan closed his eyes and turned away, tears gently streaming down his cheeks. Wyatt let him go as Kavan closed his eyes, his mind already racing with futile thoughts of an unlikely rescue. When they returned to the club, Kavan let Wyatt lead him to his room. Hardly noticing the large creature, Kavan laid down on his and Indis's bed, hugging her pillow close to his chest, wetting it with his tears.

* * *

Dreams are a haze, thick, slow-moving, and dim. They come and they go on a whim, flitting in and out of the mind with random spontaneity. But memories are different. Some linger in the mind, teasing and taunting. Others are lost in the currents of time. And the rest remain solid, constantly reopening wounds of the past. A single flicker of light or a slight gleam of passion behind the eyes can reawaken latent memories. Sometimes a memory is stubbornly locked in a half blocked passageway that takes a fuse to blast its path clear. Once those doors of history are reopened, the current of time is reversed, and the carrier is unwillingly rushed to the past to relive old terrors and feel their pain anew.

It was his eyes, the cold black eyes filled with arrogant strength and unbridled desire, that started the chain. It was the T-shaped visor and the blank gaze of the bounty hunter that lit the fuse. Indis was swept away into her own unconsciousness to face the past she wanted only to forget.

* * *

A small child ran through the rain soaked alleyways of the smuggler's moon. She ran with no direction, no other purpose than to get away. Her cheeks were soaked with salt and rain and her eyes burned red. As she fell she tried to keep the thin blanket around her shoulders, tried to cover all that was left of her innocence.

The child heard a voice behind her call out her name, but mindlessly she continued to run. Her bare feet bled as shards of thermasteel and glass splinters dug into their soles. The panic inside her exploded as she felt two hands take hold of her and force her to stop.

'Indie! It's me,' the owner of the hands said. A boy only a few years older than she, spun the girl around to get her attention.

'Let me go!' the girl screamed, repeating herself over and over as she looked wildly around her with blind eyes. 'Let me go!' she screamed again, beating at the boy's chest until he released her and she fell to the filthy ground. She laid there in a heap, the blanket that barely covered her torn and soaked, shivering in the damp cold, her body heaving with desperate sobs.

'Indie, what happened?' the boy asked gently, kneeling next to the girl and placing a loving hand on her shoulder. The girl looked up at him, her wide blue eyes still dazed and frightened. 'Indie...'

From the end of the alley the children heard a siren and the pounding of heavy feet.

'Keep going,' a deep masculine voice ordered. 'I'll check down here.'

Finally overcome with panic and fear, the girl fainted. The boy looked down at his friend, his own dark eyes growing wide as he checked to make sure she was still alive.

A set of heavy footsteps pounded down the alley, scaring off the small creatures and denizens of the narrow passage. Soon the light from a glowstick fell across the boy's haunched form, and the footsteps stopped. The boy looked up at a heavily armed and armoured mercenary as he hugged his friend's body to himself.

'Outta the way, kid,' the mercenary growled, shoving the boy back and forcing him away from the girl.

The boy smacked solidly against the far wall of the alley, his head exploding in a burst of white hot pain. He slumped over, trying to shake the fog from his head as the mercenary tried to rouse the tiny girl.

'Please, sir,' the boy begged, struggling to his feet and hurrying toward the man. 'Please, my sister's sick. Just leave us alone!'

Callously the man shoved the boy back but he returned again, this time clinging to the mercenary's arm, screaming and begging the man to leave them alone. Frustrated, the mercenary backhanded the boy, again sending him against the far wall. This time prepared for the coming impact the boy rolled onto his side, aiming his newly acquired weapon at its former owner. Wordlessly he fired the blaster, nearly missing his target but knocking the mercenary away from the girl nonetheless. The big man slammed against the wall of the alley at the same time drawing a second blaster.

His hands visibly shaking, the boy struggled to get a good aim at the mercenary as he fired again. The mercenary dropped to his knee, clutching his shoulder and looking up in shock at the boy. He realized, too late, his mistake in brushing the boy off so quickly. The mercenary's green eyes met the boy's as the child fired a third time, the bolt burning through the mercenary's skull and killing him instantly.

Still trembling, the boy held onto the blaster as he knelt beside his friend. She was conscious now, the struggle with the mercenary hardly having any effect on her physically, though she was still sobbing and shaking from before.

'Indie,' he whispered. The girl looked up blankly at him. 'Indie, come on, let's go.' He helped the battered child to her feet and wrapped what was left of the blanket around her bare body. Quickly, the children ran down the rest of the alleyway and through several more before halting. Before them was one of the few semi-open areas in the run down lower levels of Nar Shaddaa which the local residents labeled the Plaza.

The Plaza was reminiscent of an open air market, only it was hardly open and the merchandise was hardly legal, for the most part.

'Kavan,' the girl whispered, tugging on her friend's sleeve and shaking her head.

The boy looked at her and then searched the Plaza in the dim light. He spotted a familiar face behind one of the stands, Korin, a Rodian merchant specializing in whatever his customer needed.

'Wait here,' the boy whispered, pushing his friend gently back into the shadows and stepping boldly into the Plaza. Ignoring the shouts and calls from the merchants selling their products, the boy made his way directly to Korin's stand and stood on his toes to see above the counter.

'Well, well,' the Rodian hummed with what could be considered the Rodian equivalent of a grin. 'If it isn't my good buddy, Kavin.'

The boy ignored the Rodian's mispronunciation of his name and quickly stated his business.

'That all, kid?' Korin asked contemptuously.

The boy nodded prompting a high pitched laugh from Korin. 'Well, for the merchandise and for wasting my time, it's gonna cost ya' something extra.'

'I don't have anything extra,' the boy said, wishing for the thousandth time that he was an adult or at least able to see over a merchant's table.

The Rodian sneered. 'Well, what _do_ you have, kid?'

The boy reached in his pocket and pulled out its contents, a small insect with an elongated body wiggling its antennae and a mini-holoprojector. The Rodian flicked the insect aside and picked up the small devise. The boy's eyes drifted over to the wounded insect, and he quickly reclaimed and pocketed it. Fiddling with the holoprojector the Rodian was eventually able to activate it, producing a dim distorted image of a young man and woman holding a small baby. With a huff Korin deactivated and pocketed the device.

'I guess this'll do,' he sighed, reaching behind him and pulling out a bundle. Handing it over to the small boy he proceeded in shooing him away. 'Now get out of here before I change my mind.'

The boy held the bundle protectively under his arm, and, dodging larger occupants of the Plaza, ran swiftly to where he had left his friend.

'Here,' the boy said, handing the bundle over to the girl who opened it up into a too large pair of pants and dress length tunic.

'But your holoproj, your family,' the girl objected. 'It's all you-'

The boy cut her off. 'Just put the cloths on and lets get out of here.'

The girl reluctantly complied, and, in less than a minute, they were running again, this time toward the nearest spaceport.

* * *

Indis woke slowly, her head throbbing with white-hot pain and her heart aching with memory. She blinked her eyes open cautiously, the dim light surrounding her sending shots of pain through her retinas and into her already pounding head. She raised her hand to her head as she tried to right herself into a sitting position. Her muscles responded to her commands slowly, sluggishly. She dimly remembered the bounty hunter and being shot, yet she was still alive.

_Stun bolt,_ she concluded, finally managing to sit up and instantly regretting it.

Indis moaned as her body swayed to the side, her head swimming in a sea of darkness. Rubbing the back of her neck she looked around her. In a sickening moment she realized that she did not know where she was. The hard bench she was seated on took up most of the tiny room. The door across from her comprised nearly the entire wall. The floor was smooth and cold under her bare feet as she stood up. Again her body swooned and she had to catch herself against one of the walls. She reached out to touch the cold thermasteel door and was awarded no reaction for her efforts. Panic edging her consciousness Indis tried digging her nails into the seam of the door and prying it apart only to find she was too weak to even get a grip on it. Frustrated she smacked her palm against the door. To her surprise the seam started to part, slowly at first, as if the door was unused or worn down from neglect. She backed away as far as she could, her knees catching on the hard bench against the far wall. Steadying herself against the corner of the room she watched as the door open, revealing two burly guards and a stout man in between them.

The stout man grinned, his eyes boasting the look of an overzealous predator. 'So you're Kre Kahn's mistress.' He nodded, his eyes scanning every curve of her small body, taking in every wiry muscle, every inch of her exposed skin. Still wearing the thin blue dress, Indis knew little of her body was left to the stout man's imagination.

'Not bad,' the man said after a long uncomfortable stretch. 'A perfect prize for Master Togos.'

Indis gritted her teeth, fully understanding what was happening and determined to fight it tooth and nail. The stout man exited the room, leaving the two guards to 'escort' Indis to whatever destination he had in mind.

Indis narrowed her eyes at the guards as they approached her. Their eyes were hungry, full of eager lust and terrible desire. Even the way they moved set of warning alarms in Indis, bringing her body and mind to full alert. With a grin the first guard reached out to take hold of her. Before his hand even touched her Indis had him on the ground, stunned and wounded. Though surprised, the other guard quickly defended himself from the ferocious attack of the captive. By that time the stout man had fled down the hall, calling for someone to save him from the small woman.

Indis managed to down the last guard and took off running through the halls, heading opposite the way that the stout man fled. She passed no one, but she did not stop long enough to think about it. Nor did she care if she was running deeper into the heart of the citadel. She only knew that, at that moment, she was free and she was going to do her best to remain that way.

But her moment of freedom was short-lived. In her flight she neglected to pause to look around corners when she passed them or turned. Living this mistake, she ran headlong into an armoured Hunter, Kn'or Bultâr, and the infamous head of the Black Sun, San Togos. Gathering her wits and fighting the rush of black that narrowed her vision, Indis turned and tried to flee but was stopped by the gloved hand of the Hunter grabbing a fistful of her hair. She cried out as she was pulled backward. She struggled to stay conscious as Butâr's strong arm wrapped around her waist, holding her against him.

'What is this?' The Black Sun head asked, mildly irritated at the concept of a scantily clad woman running loose in his fortress. He slowly circled Indis, stopping directly in front of her and raising his eyebrow questioningly at Bultâr.

The response came from a mechanically altered voice thick with a heavy accent. 'Kahn's mistress. We found her in his room.'

'Ah,' Togos said, his voice edging on annoyance. 'So that explains why she was running free in my halls.'

'Whoever is responsible for this will be dealt with, Master Togos,' Bultâr promised. 'I will see to it personally.'

'See that you do.' Togos's crisp reply left no room for argument or misstep. Even a deadly being like Bultâr would not dare to cross the man who had single handedly resurrected the Black Sun. 'In the mean time,' he continued, starting to walk away then pausing and looking back at the captive, 'put her away where she won't get loose again.'

Bultâr bowed his head in compliance. 'Yes, Master Togos,' he responded to the receding form of his employer.


	5. The Start of Something New

Chapter 5

-The Start of Something New

Gossip spread like wildfire among the slaves at the Black Sun Coruscant Headquarters. Even common occurrences - a murder, a change in leadership, a new hunt - were enough to start tongues wagging for days, spreading the information and creating exciting stories to accompany the hearsay. This particular afternoon was no different.

'Have you seen her?' A female voice asked in response to a comment from one of her companions. A tall scarlet Twi'lek directed the communal gaze of her companions to the female in question. 'Kre Kahn's mistress, from what I hear,' she sneered.

'Is she even old enough for that?' One of the companions asked, causing a small eruption of laughter.

'She hasn't said a word since she arrived,' the Scarlet noted, raising her eyebrows slightly. 'Thinks she's better than us.'

'She's probably just afraid, Mei,' a blue skinned Twi'lek argued. 'Leave her be.'

'Was I talking to you, Rhyna?' the Scarlet glared at the other woman. 'I didn't think so.'

Mei rose and confronted the small Human huddled against the far wall. She lifted the girl to her feet, holding on to the thick metal collar that was clamped around the Human's neck.

'You see this?' Mei growled, directing the Human's gaze to the collar around her own neck, identical to the one each of the slaves wore. 'It means you're just the same as the rest of us. So, tell me your name, Mistress.'

The females seated near Rhyna laughed at Mei's mockery, adding to the taunting. Rhyna watched silently, wishing she could do something.

'You're name!' Mei demanded, backhanding the Human suddenly and sending her back to the floor. As the Scarlet bent to force the Human to rise, a large cold hand clamped onto her shoulder and held her immobile. The Twi'lek spun and tried to back away from the Overseer before she too was sent to the floor, her lip splitting under the pressure of his fist.

'Her name is Indis, Mei,' he informed,' and she is _not_ to be harmed. Is that understood?'

Mei bowed her head, 'Yes, Master,' she whispered humbly.

'What was that?' the Overseer raised his voice.

'Yes, Master,' Mei repeated loudly, her eyes flaring with anger.

Mei glared at the receding back of the Overseer as Indis rose quietly to her feet.

'Watch your back, Mistress. The Master's protection won't last forever,' Mei warned as she spun and stalked out of the room.

As the rest of her companions followed the Scarlet, Rhyna stood and greeted the young Human.

'Don't worry about Mei,' Rhyna assured Indis. 'She thinks she's hot stuff 'cause she's Togos's favourite, but she's a slave, just like the rest of us. As long as he's protecting you, you're pretty much untouchable, at least when it comes to the other slaves.'

'I'm Rhyna,' the Twi'lek introduced. After a long pause, she continued. 'You don't talk much, do you?' She smiled. 'You may want to start, 'cause, around here, it's about the only thing that keeps you sane. Have you been assigned a room yet?'

Indis shook her head.

'Come on,' Rhyna said, taking the Human's hand in her own. 'It could be days before the Lizard bothers with that "small detail." You can share mine and Talin's in the meantime.'

Indis raised her eyebrow, but silently let herself be lead by the slave who held her hand.

* * *

Kari slipped quietly into Kavan's room, quickly closing the door against Olimpiu's verbal onslaught. The club had been open six hours already, yet Kavan refused to leave his room. The short Twi'lek stood by the door a moment, her heart swelling with sympathy for the man who had been her brother for so many years. She crossed the room slowly and sat down on Indis's side of the bed. Kavan's back was to her, and he did not stir as she placed her slender hand on his shoulder.

After a time, a fresh sob tore through Kavan, and he curled into a tight ball, muffling his tears in Indis's pillow. Gritting her teeth, Kari wrapped her arm around his chest and pressed her cheek against his back, holding him until his tears began to subside. When they did, Kari released him, squeezing his shoulder gently as she moved to leave, but Kavan stopped her, holding onto her hand as if it were his only lifeline. She sat back down, letting herself look into his haunted eyes.

'Did Wyatt tell you?' he asked, staring at the opposite wall. His voice was hoarse, and often broke as he tried to form words.

'He told Olimpiu that she was captured, but I didn't hear anything else.'

Kavan shut his eyes, the scene before Kahn's palace playing back through his memory.

'I can't help feeling that she's gone,' Kavan confided quietly.

'If there's a way out of anything, Indis can find it,' Kari assured, forcing a soft smile for Kavan's sake.

'It was Bultâr,' Kavan whispered, opening his eyes again and looking up in time to see Kari's smile falter.

* * *

The club's noise hit Jax as he opened the heavy, old-fashioned door. The bouncer scanned the club's occupants, alert to any possible trouble, though he was off-duty at the time. As he stepped into the crowd, he glanced up at the chrono. Seven. Curious, he looked at the dark stage, but saw no activity behind the thin veil. An old music chip blared music from the worn out speakers, which no one bothered tending anymore. Olimpiu was hollering at Wyatt at the end of the bar, and Kavan was no where to be found.

'What is going on?' Jax muttered to himself.

'Jax!' a familiar feminine voice shouted to him from nearby.

He looked around, quickly spotting a short violet Twi'lek pushing her way through the press of people.

'Jax, what are you doing here? I though you were off tonight,' Dima asked.

'I came to see if I could steal you for a bit, but it looks like Boss-Thing could use some extra help. Why isn't Kavan out here?'

Dima froze, her expression falling rapidly into a blank stare as she turned away.

'Dima, what happened to him?' Jax demanded, thinking about how edgy Kavan had been after Indis left with Kahn. His imagination jumped to every possible thing Kavan could have done to land himself in trouble, and he prayed that that was not the case.

'Nothing,' Dima said quietly, reaching out to take Jax's hand. 'Nothing happened to him. It's...it's Indis.' Her voice dropped to a whisper as she looked up at his gray eyes.

* * *

Jax held Dima close to him while they sat on top of an empty counter in one of the backstage dressing rooms. He slowly rubbed his large hand up and down her bare arm, keeping her dark skin warm in the chilled room. She rested her head against his chest, letting one of her long lekku fall down his back.

'So he hasn't left his room yet?' Jax asked softly, grateful for the relative quiet of the secluded room.

Dima shook her head. 'No one saw them come in. Kari only heard because Olimpiu woke her up with all the noise he made. You know how loud he gets when he's mad.'

Jax tightened his other arm around Dima's waist and rested his cheek on the top of her head. 'I'll go and talk with him,' he said finally, imagining himself in Kavan's position. He glanced tenderly at the small female in his arms. 'Maybe I can help.' Jax swallowed and kissed her forehead before helping her off the counter.

'Hey, Jax,' Dima interrupted, stopping him halfway through the door. He turned and looked back at her. 'Thanks.'

'Just keep Boss-Thing away, alright?' he requested.

* * *

Dima nodded.

Kari and Kavan had hardly moved in the last hour and did not respond when Jax entered. Kari's eyes were moist with tears, though she fought to remain composed for the Human's sake. She looked up at Jax and silently begged him to do something. Kavan's eyes were blood read, evidence of the tears he had run out of and his lack of sleep.

Jax cringed - concerned was an understatement for the worry he felt for his friend. Kavan was a tender man, yes, but Jax had never seen him cry or even loose his temper.

Jax's eyes narrowed as he gritted his teeth. 'Come one, Kavan,' he said after a moment's hesitation, startling himself with the sound of his own voice. 'Let's get some food.'

Kavan shook his head. 'I'm not hungry.'

Swallowing his desire to give into his friend's wants, Jax concentrated on what his friend needed. He silently nudged Kari off the bed and took a firm grip on Kavan's arm, forcing the other Human to look at him.

'You need to stop this, Kavan. You can't change the past,' Jax stated firmly.

Kari gasped and started back toward Jax. He waived his hand at her to leave, watching Kavan's lack of response to his words. When Kari would not leave, Jax looked at her sternly, and she quickly disappeared through the door.

'Kavan, I know you're hurting,' Jax started once Kari was gone.

'You don't have a clue,' Kavan interrupted.

'But she's not dead!' Jax continued, unfazed. Kavan looked away, gritting his teeth.

'Look at me, Kavan,' Jax ordered. He continued only when his friend's eyes locked on his. 'You're like my brother,' he declared. 'And I'm not going to sit by while you wallow in your grief, ignoring the possibility that there's still a chance.'

'You don't know she's alive,' Kavan yelled.

'And you don't know that she's not!' Jax raised his voice only enough to capture the other man's attention. 'She's strong, Kavan. You know that better than any of us.'

Kavan shook his head and looked away, cutting off his friend.

Jax signed. 'Look, do me a favour. Come out and eat something. You'll think more clearly once you do.'

* * *

Indis glanced at her reflection, tugging at the collar around her neck. The one around her ankle was easier to ignore, but she could not even turn her head without being pinched by the thick metal. She sighed, trying not to think about what lay in store for her. Instead, she let her mind drift to Kavan, hoping that he was not too worried about her disappearance. She smiled as she pictured Olimpiu storming around the club, cursing Kahn for keeping her so late.

_Well, Boss-Thing, you won't have to worry about him anymore._ Her smile fell as the thought brought her back to her situation.

'Don't be nervous,' Talin soothed, appearing behind Indis and starting to tighten the back of the corset Indis wore. 'And don't fret about the collar, he'll take it off.'

Talin was an average sized Human from Chandrilla. She and her family had been captured by pirates in an ambush past the Outer Rim four years before the Clone Wars. She had been the property of a Twi'lek slaver on Tatooine until he lost her to a band of mercenaries, who in turn sold her to an ascending Black Sun vigo four years ago. She liked to talk, and she talked a lot. Indis found it mildly surprising that none of her masters had silenced her permanently. Yet, Talin had a kind heart, and her constant chatter was a refreshing distraction from Indis's thoughts.

Indis expanded her lungs while the other Human finished tightening the back. The corset was already several sizes too small, and was as loose as it could be without leaving Indis completely exposed at the sides. Fortunately, however, the front was clasped, rather than laced, though Indis still could not see the purpose of simply wearing a corset. Men with power seemed to have an insatiable lust for pornography and sex. Since her relationship with Kavan, seeing the way he treated her, as if her body was a sacred temple, not a toy to be violated, Indis found it difficult and degrading to 'play along' with men such as Kahn.

Once she was finished, Talin secured the knot on the sheer wrapped skirt, using the folded top to cover the hard edge of the small undergarment.

'Togos is a gentle lover,' Talin continued after she had completed the last task. She brushed Indis's hands away from her hair and put it up for the girl. 'He won't hurt you if you don't fight him. Not like Kahn.'

Indis caught her breath quickly and looked questioningly at Talin's reflection.

The older woman smiled knowingly. 'I was Kahn's slave until last year. He gave me to Togos in an attempt to pacify him.' She forced Indis to look straight forward as she continued. 'I still have scars from where he would bite me.'

'Togos doesn't bite,' Rhyna informed Indis as she entered the cramped quarters with a pile of garments to fold. 'Well, at least not hard enough to leave marks.'

'Just don't fight him, Indis,' Talin warned as she finished and turned Indis around to examine her appearance. 'He'll get mad.'

'That skirt's not gonna last long, honey,' Rhyna commented as she dropped her burden onto her narrow bunk.

'Uh uh,' Talin agreed. 'But leave it on until he takes it off, otherwise one of the guards might do something stupid.'

Indis fought to keep a blank face, still trying to deny what was happening. Rhyna noticed her struggle and put compassionate hands on the girl's shoulders.

'Try to think of someone you care about. Don't think about what's happening,' she advised.

* * *

Jax managed to get Kavan to eat a small portion of meat and a glass of water as they sat at the bar. Kavan's attitude was slowly improving, and, while he was still concerned, Jax was relieved to see a spark of anger ignite behind Kavan's dull gaze.

'I don't know what would be worse,' Kavan said finally, 'if Indis is dead or if she's a slave.'

'Well, only one of those has any hope in it,' Jax pointed out.

'I just wish I knew.'

'She's alive, Son,' Wyatt said, appearing briefly between customers. The evening was nearing it's lull - after dinner customers and before nighttime drinkers. 'I can feel it,' the big creature placed on of his hands over where his heart was located, 'right here.'

Kavan shook his head, a burst of animation returning to him. 'I have to find her. I can't -'

Jax cleared his throat, glancing over Kavan's shoulder and mouthing 'Boss-Thing.'

Kavan turned on his stool and looked up at Olimpiu's giant form. His tiny eyes bored into Kavan as his face broke into what was either a smile or a scowl.

'You get yourself mixed in with the Black Sun, and you'd better look for a new job,' Olimpiu threatened.

_Definitely a scowl,_ Jax thought, assuming, with mild irritation, that the issue would be dropped. Kavan rarely countered a direct threat from Olimpiu, though, on this occasion, he surprised himself, his boss, and the two coworkers behind him.

'Do you think I actually care about this job?' he asked, rising to his feet in order to meet Olimpiu's gaze directly.

'Don't raise your voice to me, son,' Olimpiu growled.

'I'm not your son, Olimpiu.'

Jax looked around them, worried that the confrontation was drawing the attention of patrons. The bouncer's glance was enough to turn away some of the curious onlookers, but if the two got any louder, there would be nothing Jax or Wyatt could do.

'Fire me. I don't care,' Kavan continued to challenge. 'This job doesn't mean a thing to me without Indis, ok? So go ahead!'

While Olimpiu fumed, Wyatt spoke soothingly from behind the bar. 'Don't do anything rash, Son. Let yourself calm down a bit.'

Kavan nodded almost imperceptibly in acknowledgement of his friend's words. Jax reached out to touch his shoulder, but Kavan stepped away quickly, brushing past Olimpiu and stalking out of the club. Jax looked up at Wyatt, and, after receiving an encouraging nod from the bartender, bolted after Kavan. He caught a glimpse of the twins as he rushed out the door, ignoring his boss's threat about following Kavan.

_I'm not on duty, you big lug,_ he thought as the thick outside air hit him. He easily spotted Kavan walking quickly away from him.

'Kavan,' he called, jogging after him. 'Kavan!' His friend ignored him.

Jax darted through an alley and met Kavan around the other side of the column. 'Looking for Black Sun HQ?' he asked casually.

Kavan turned silently and headed away from him.

'Hey!' Jax stopped him, grabbing the other man's shoulder. 'You want to walk the whole way?' he asked, dangling the keys to his speeder bike in front of Kavan. 'Or can I give you a ride?'

* * *

Togos eased open the knot that held Indis's skirt on. His cold skin made her tremble as he brushed her thigh with his fingers, holding her to close to him.

Indis opened her eyes, hardly able to see in the unlit room. She could feel Togos sitting on the bed behind her, could hear his heavy breathing as he touched his lips to the back of her neck, all the while feeling an unfathomable despair. She was afraid, truly afraid for the first time in years, though not for herself. It had been almost a day since Kahn had taken her with him, and he had never kept her that long without at least sending word to her boss. Kavan would worry, she knew it. He would look for her at Kahn's palace. When he found it overrun by the Black Sun, what would he do?

The sudden ability to breathe easily pulled Indis out of her thoughts. She could feel Togos pressing against her as his lips continued to caress her neck. Indis tried to take Rhyna's advice, but could not bring herself to equate Kavan with the bloodstained creature that held her.

_Why me?_ she asked herself as Togos covered her mouth with his and gently laid her down underneath him. As he slipped his tongue into her mouth and removed the rest of her garments, Indis's mind was again swept backwards into the past, into a painfully vivid memory.

* * *

She was a child, and he was hurting her. Indis was too young to know who the man inside of her was, too young to know why it was wrong, only that it was. Indis had always been the tough tom-boy type, brushing off the injuries she acquired while playing in the streets of the Smuggler's Moon. But she was still a child, and when his fingers had first touched the place she hardly knew existed, she had immediately begun to cry. She had screamed as the rest of him pushed into her. Indis had begged him to let her go, to put her back on the streets where she belonged. But his only response was the back of his fist breaking the skin near her eye.

Indis's screams ceased, and she laid under the large man's crushing form, openly sobbing for the first time in her memory. She could not think. She could barely move. Everything hurt, and she was tired. She looked away, her vision blurred with tears that burned the damaged tissue on her face. There, just beyond her reach was the man's weapon, still holstered on the discarded belt.

A rush of hope surged through her heart as she extended her arm, the tips of her fingers just brushed the muzzle of the blaster. She glanced back up at the man and continued to reach for the weapon. Suddenly, it was in her hand, and he let her go. She could not explain how she had acquired the blaster. She had no memory of using it. But she was free. She dropped the weapon as she stared at the body on the floor, and her instincts took over.

* * *

Indis stared into the darkness, her heart pounding wildly, barely able to breathe. She closed her eyes, drawing in a shaky breath and releasing her grip. His body relaxed on top of her, but she struggled to find the strength to move.

She could not think.

When, at last, she had remembered where she was she looked up at what she had done. In shocked disbelief and sheer terror, she shoved Togos's body away from her and scrambled to her feet, searching frantically for a way out.


	6. Bound

Chapter 6

- Bound

She did not know where, exactly, she was. She did not know how to get back to where she had come from. She only knew that she was living on stolen time.

Indis shivered as a blast of cool air rushed in from the large open window and ruffled the newly replaced sheer skirt. She let Togos's body fall again to the floor, careful to keep it in the shadows, his usefulness over after having donated his handprint to open the window.

The terrified dancer stepped out onto the balcony, out into the Coruscant sky. She was relieved to know that she was still on her adopted homeworld, though, looking down, she might as well have been on Duros or Raman for how far up she was. As Indis approached the railing she allowed herself a moment to catch her breath and appreciate the beauty of looking at the durasteel world from above. The multitude of speeders and cloudcars, glowlamps and night revelers lit up the darkened sky in a myriad of colours. Florescent signs related the temperature, time, economy, and services for the wealthiest members of the elite upper-class. But as Indis gazed down past the columns of housing and business, she felt an overwhelming sadness accompanied by desperation induced panic.

'What have I done?' she breathed, trying to fend off the thousands of futures rushing in all at once. She reached up to shield her head from the flood of visions as she squeezed her eyes shut. 'Not again,' she sobbed in a barely audible whisper, begging whatever forces could hear her. 'Please.'

'You all right, ma'am?'

Indis's head jerked up and her wide eyes caught a glimpse of an air taxi, its driver leaning out of the window. The driver, a middle-aged humanoid, repeated his question as Indis backed further away from the railing.

'I...' she stammered.

'Did someone hurt you?' the driver asked.

Indis stopped breathing. She looked at the man for a moment and quickly considered her options. She nodded meekly, deciding to take a chance on the stranger.

'Can I get you outta here? Take you somewhere?' he asked, his lip curling back in a snarl.

Indis bowed her head, smiling in relief inside. 'I don't have any money,' she said just loud enough for the man to hear her.

'That's okay, ma'am,' the driver said. 'I ain't gonna ask for nothin' from you.'

She looked up, the gratitude beaming in her eyes completely genuine as the air taxi turned around and the driver helped her inside. Indis glanced back at the Black Sun fortress as the vehicle sped away into the night.

'So where am I taking you?' the driver asked, glancing over at the girl next to him.

Indis quietly gave him the location of the club she called home, keeping her eyes downcast and her hands clenched on her lap.

The driver whistled through his teeth. 'That's at least an hour west of here,' he commented, more to himself than to Indis. He seemed to second-guess the wisdom of ferrying his passenger for free while other _paying_ customers waited on corners to give him money for a short ride. But when he looked over at the girl again, her eyes squeezed shut to fight back tears, shivering in the cold night air, so small and so frightened, he turned up the heater and set his course for the lower levels.

'It's okay,' he reassured, gently patting her hand. 'I'll get ya' home.'

Indis looked up at him briefly, considering that, perhaps, there were other genuinely good people out there aside from her small circle of friends.

* * *

There is a certain thrill when riding on the edge of danger, enough to delay fatigue and strengthen the weary. It was exactly what Kavan needed in place of the respite that was forcibly delayed. It was nearing twenty-four hours since all of this had begun. Indis could be on a slave ship half way to the outer rim by now. Jax prayed she was still on Coruscant.

The night sky was lit up with multi-coloured neon lights ranging from lewd advertisements to boasts of potential fortune as they ascended the levels of the city. Jax felt his heart banging against his chest as they neared their destination. Following Kavan's dictation of directions, Jax banked sharply to the right, putting the speeder bike nearly horizontal in the process.

Indis was obviously not at Kahn's palace, but it was the last place she had been seen and the only thing the two men had to go on. Jax did not know what exactly they would find in a dead man's fortress, but a glance at the determination in his friend's eyes made him open up the throttle and speed even faster toward the new Black Sun acquisition.

'It's just around the next column,' Kavan hollered above the icy wind.

Jax checked his speed and turned, glancing solemnly at the dark palace as they passed. 'It looks vacant,' he commented.

Kavan stared at the large entrance with his jaw set. 'It sure as hell wasn't this morning.'

'Yesterday morning,' Jax corrected as they reached the end of the front wall. He turned gently, looking for a place to park. 'It's almost one.'

Jax settled for a small niche that could have been mistaken for a narrow alley were it not for the brick wall only a few meters in. 'Think anyone's home?' he asked as Kavan pushed himself off the bike.

'Why don't we just knock.'

* * *

Two young Humans lounged at the security station on the top level of the Black Sun HQ. The light hared boy was leaning back on his chair, dozing with his mouth open part way while the darker Human tried to land small grains of rice inside the opening. Just another normal night on the job. No one was foolish enough to try to, or cunning enough to succeed in breaking past the lower level securities to get to Togos. The security station on this level was for room-to-room surveillance, boasting several different monitors on a rotating sequence that panned each of the many large rooms. There was one camera, which could be manually activated or deactivated depending on orders, that was located in Togos's inner chamber. The night shift almost always had orders to leave it off.

'Ya! Score,' the dark Human yelped as he landed several grains inside the other boy's mouth, waking him up and prompting a series of aggressive attacks.

'What do you think you're doing, man?' he muttered, throwing a wild fist over the other Human's head.

The dark one laughed, throwing a handful of grains in the boy's face and subduing any further attacks. The two settled down as the pale boy tried to brush the grains out of his short hair.

'I'm bored,' the dark boy answered after a long time of staring at the changing screens.

Sporting a sly grin, the pale boy leaned over toward the consul and toyed with a few buttons. Noticing the motion, the dark boy's eyes grew wide and he reached out and grabbed the other boy's arm.

'Are you crazy? If we get caught peeking we're rancor meat!' the dark boy hissed.

Shrugging him off, the pale boy rolled his eyes. 'You woke me up. I blame you,' he stated as another screen came to life.

Both young men watched it intently as the image came into focus. For a moment they sat silently, confused.

The bed Togos was supposed to be in was empty.

'Move over,' the dark boy commanded, shoving his way in front of the pale boy to gain access to the camera controls. Hitting a few controls he panned the camera around the room. Vacant.

'Over there,' the pale boy alerted the other one, pointing to an area on the dark screen.

The camera zoomed in to an open window leading to a balcony.

'Well where the hell?' The dark boy whispered, cutting himself off abruptly as his eye caught the shadow of a hand at the bottom corner of the screen.

'Alert the sentries,' the pale boy snapped, jumping into action and grabbing a blaster rifle from under the consul.

'I blame you!' the dark boy called after him, hitting a large button which sent an alarm throughout the Black Sun HQ.

* * *

The armour clad bounty hunter slumped into the pilot's seat in the cockpit of his ship, _Slave I._ His retro-burners were fried, and repairs had taken longer than he had anticipated. He could have let the droids at the landing pad repair the damage while he went about his business, but he would be damned if he let a droid the work he could do better.

Fett took off his helmet and set it on the seat next to him. He glanced for a moment at its scarred and pitted surface. And to think that could have been his head, although half of the damage had been done by the armour's previous owner. Fett almost laughed when he thought of what his father would say if he saw the sad state the armour was in.

_Mandalorian armour is made from a stronger compound than any other armour in the galaxy. Even the Kaminoans can't reproduce it. Respect it, and it could save your life._

Almost laughed. But not quite.

He had not slept in days, and sitting down strengthened the seduction that tried to lure him to unconsciousness. It would have won were it not for the quiet tick of a blinking light that suddenly activated. Fett reopened his eyes, which he had not noticed were closed, and scanned the consul before him. Blinking the weariness away, he leaned forward and entered the code that would play the Black Sun's radio communications through the speakers in _Slave I_'s cockpit. He listened for a moment, gathering scattered bits of information before an amused smirk played on his lips.

_Looks like Xizor got his wish,_ he thought dryly as he turned off the channel and donned his helmet.

* * *

Indis was dozing in the taxi, completely exhausted by her trial. The hot air being pushed through the cab soothed her muscles and helped her to relax, giving her some semblance of security in her dreams.

The driver glanced over at the sleeping Human. She looked so peaceful in her slumber, her eyes gently closed and stray hairs falling softly across her face. He did not care what had happened to her, the idea that someone would dare harm a child infuriated him. By her clothing he could only imagine what she had gone through. Though he was uncomfortable in the heat, he was glad he could help keep her warm until she got home.

He had just returned his eyes ahead of him when he heard a small yelp to his side. Indis woke up suddenly and was grasping her ankle and cringing. A quick glance revealed a thick band clasped to her ankle, buzzing with electric current and flashing a small red light.

'You're a slave,' he whispered.

Indis stopped, ignoring the pain the anklet was causing her. Her chest heaved as she struggled to get enough air into her lungs. Her eyes filled with tears she was too exhausted to fight.

The driver looked at the road, his conscience telling him to keep driving. Slowly he shook his head and sighed.

'I'm sorry,' he whispered to the terrified girl. He could not bring himself to look at her again. 'I can't take ya' any farther.'

Indis closed her eyes in a futile attempt to stop her tears.

'I can't risk it,' the driver explained, more to try to convince himself he was doing the right think. 'I've got a family back home. I'm terribly sorry.'

Indis could feel the taxi slowing to a halt and opened her eyes, glancing at the driver. 'Thank you,' she whispered as she climbed out of the taxi and stood on the walkway at the side of a wide building.

Cringing, the driver forced himself to look at her. He opened his mouth to say something but was cut off by a blast of sirens coming from behind. Looking quickly into a mirror he saw several security vehicles speeding towards them, flashing red lights and scattering civilian crafts.

'Run,' the driver commanded.

Indis looked at the lights in panic.

'Run, ma'am!'

The driver took off into the middle of the flying zone, capturing the attention of the security vehicles and drawing them down through the levels of Coruscant. Left alone and exposed on the walkway, Indis ran as fast as she could, running around the corner of the building and nearly colliding with a tall young Human leaning back against the paneled side.

Not pausing to look, Indis turned around quickly and sprinted back the way she came. She could hear the man's booted footsteps pounding behind her, gaining on her. The band on her ankle numbed her foot and made running difficult and painful. Suddenly a large hand grabbed her forearm, spinning her around to face its owner and pulling her into a tight embrace.

Indis struggled against the man, screaming in panic and beating her fists against his chest.

'Indie!' the man's voice called above her screams. 'Indie, it's me!'

Breaking free of his grasp, Indis stepped back and looked up at Kavan through tear-blurred eyes. 'Kavan,' she whispered as she gasped for air. Closing her eyes she clung tightly to him as Kavan wrapped his arms around her and gently stroked her head, trying to sooth her fear.

'I killed him,' Indis whispered, grasping the front of Kavan's shirt frantically and burying her face in his chest. 'He's dead. I didn't mean to. I...'

'Shh,' Kavan soothed, holding Indis to him tightly, fearing to let her go ever again. 'I'm here, Indie. It'll be ok.'

Suddenly jerked away from Kavan. 'No,' she choked, tears streaming down her cheeks. She looked away from her lover, terror choking her as her thoughts scrambled in her head. 'No. You can't protect me this time, Kavan.' Her fear overcoming sense and emotion, she took a step away from the man she loved and turned around. Kavan watched aghast as she peered over the edge of the permecrete walkway, into the depths of Coruscant's underbelly.

'Get away from me,' she whispered, closing her eyes and trying to force herself to not feel. 'They'll kill you too,' she added as a few more tears escaped her guard.

Dashing forward and grabbing her arm, Kavan spun her around and pulled her back toward the relative safety of the buildings. 'Dammit, Indie, we're in this together!'

The look in Kavan's dark eyes, undying love mixed with a fraternal impulse to protect the woman in his charge, broke down Indis's feeble defenses and she fell willingly back into his strong embrace. She held onto him with all that remained of her strength as he locked his arms around her, determined not to let her pull away again.

'I'm not loosing you again, Indie,' Kavan whispered into her hair. 'You've trusted me all your life, Indie. Please, don't stop now. We can beat this. We can beat it together.'

Indis looked up into his dark eyes, letting their strength add to her own, comforted by his assurance.

'Jax -' Kavan started, cut off by the roar of a speeding engine next to him.

'Kavan, get on!' Jax hollered from his speeder bike as he pulled forced it onto the walkway. He glanced nervously past the couple where four Black Sun troopers ran toward them. Kavan and Indis followed his gaze. Not giving Indis the time to argue or struggle, Kavan lifted the girl onto the bike, swinging himself up behind her as Jax opened the throttle and released the hover controls, careening them into the black depths at breakneck speed.

* * *

Wyatt cleaned his bar in silence as Olimpiu pushed the customers out the door, all the while muttering angrily about his bouncers walking out on the job and completely ignoring the two remaining men still on duty. Dima sat on one of the bar stools, nervously fingering the rim of a glass as she watched the clock mark the third hour of the new day. Kari stood next to her sister, her arm entwined around Dima's waist and her head resting on the other woman's shoulder. One of the janitors paused in his duties to look at the somber employees at the bar curiously.

'What do you think I'm paying you for!' Olimpiu hollered, shifting his bulk to make himself more intimidating. 'Get back to work or get the hell out of here!'

The scared young boy quite literally jumped at his boss's harsh barking, bowing to the creature in compliance.

'NOW!' Olimpiu roared, swatting at the boy who was, fortunately for him, quite a bit faster than the large hand moving toward him. He ducked quickly and ran to complete his assigned tasks.

Wyatt watched the encounter from his station, still idly emptying his countless stack of glasses. Normally he would have said at least something to his boss in the boy's defense, but this morning he only sighed and closed his eyes. He did not bother to look at the clock, only cast his sympathetic gaze upon the twins. He wanted to say something. He was good at comforting people. It was part of his job, to listen to the life stories of the street-folk as he served them drinks to ease their woes and offered advice to keep them paying. It was his life, and he did not mind it all that much, but his heart ached for the young people whose vitality was being sucked dry by this vampiric nightlife.

Olimpiu glared at the bar's occupants, his face contorting into a look of disgust. 'I want this room cleared out in five minutes, am I understood?' he demanded.

Wyatt looked at Olimpiu, his quiet demeanor simmering with anger, and nodded in silent obedience. Dima continued to watch the clock mark off each minute as Kari prayed to whatever controlled the galaxies living beings that her three friends would come home safely. Noting Wyatt's gesture, Olimpiu exited the club proper and disappeared into his quarters backstage.

'You'd best be off to bed,' Wyatt said quietly, catching Kari's eyes. The Twi'lek nodded, gently encouraging her sister to retire. When they had exited as well Wyatt nodded to the janitors and said, 'Just leave the rest, it'll fine.'

The boy who had so recently been scolded by his boss eyed the large bartender warily, not wanting a repeat of that encounter. 'Just go home,' Wyatt encouraged. 'You guys, at least, deserve a good rest before tomorrow. I'll take care of the chairs.'

As if a heavy weight had been suddenly lifted from the room, the three janitors exhaled in unison and scurried to put their supplies away. In mere minutes they were out the door, leaving Wyatt alone with just the sound of running water in the machines around him. With a heavy sigh he left his not quite tidied station to turn the chairs bottoms-up on top of the tables. He went about the task with slow, almost strained movements, and, when he was finished, he left one down and sat on it, resting his head on one of his hands. He had not wanted to show any of the kids how worried he was about Indis, especially not Kavan. Although he sensed that she would be safe, the way this situation had played out, the way the players were positioned filled him with a sinister sense of dread. No, little good could come of this.

Wyatt sighed again, resigning himself to the long wait before hearing news of any of his three kids, but the wait was far shorter than he anticipated. There was a sudden pounding on the door to the club, the urgency of which only served to deepen Wyatt's concern. As fast as his body could move he reached the door and released the electronic locks. Nearly bowling the large creature over in his haste, Kavan burst through the door, carrying Indis like a child.

'Wyatt, get me something to cut this, fast,' he ordered, gently setting Indis down in the chair Wyatt had so recently vacated. Holding her face near his, Kavan whispered soft words of comfort and encouragement, running his free hand up and down her bare arm to warm her. 'Hurry Wyatt,' he begged.

Indis's face was scrunched in pain. Countless pin pricks danced through the tissue of her leg, sending shocks of pain up through her body at even the lightest brush of her skirt over the affected skin. She was trying so hard to swallow the pain, but each passing second made it harder to bear. She cried softly against Kavan as Wyatt knelt down next to her.

'Her ankle,' Kavan said, resting Indis's forehead against his as he watched Wyatt handle a small electron tool. 'Wyatt, just cut the damn thing off!'

Continuing his intricate work, Wyatt disregarded the boy's hoarse plea. 'It's a tracer, son. If we break it they'll still find her here.'

Kavan took a shaky breath, bile rising in his throat from anxiety-induced nausea. He cursed, pulling Indis into a full embrace and holding her until Wyatt was able to remove the anklet. After a few minutes more of Wyatt's concentrated effort the anklet fell free from Indis's leg. The large being caught it in his hand and passed it off to Kavan.

'Get rid of it,' he ordered, scooping up the warm bundle from the chair and carrying her off toward the hallway.

As Kavan bolted back outside Olimpiu stalked into the room, catching site of his dancer in Wyatt's arms. 'Take you long enough?' He barked, blocking Wyatt's path.

'Get out of my way,' Wyatt growled, his small ears pressing flat against his head in an uncharacteristic show of aggression.

Olimpiu was mildly taken aback by this insubordination, and it was not as if he could bully the bartender like he could the humanoids in his employ. 'How dare-'

'Can it, Olimpiu,' Kavan growled, slamming the door behind him, Jax now at his side. 'We're finished taking your crap.' Without another word or glance at his employer, Kavan strode up to Wyatt and brought Indis down from his arms. Wrapping his arm around her waist, Kavan helped her to stand, and the two began to walk slowly toward the hidden entrance to the hall.

'I'm not finished with you, boy!' Olimpiu bellowed, his deep voice resonating off of the walls.

Kavan stopped with his back to Olimpiu. Holding back a snarl of fury Kavan turned his head enough to see the creature in his peripheral vision. 'Well it's a good thing that I don't really give a damn then,' he hissed, his voice low and threatening.

Looking like a pot boiling over, Olimpiu roared, 'You're both fired!'


	7. Remember Forever

**Chapter 7**

**- Remember Forever**

Kavan growled fixing his eyes firmly on the door. 'We're leaving.'

'Who's going to hire you, boy?' Olimpiu shot. 'Who's going to hire her? She's a live wire boy. She's gonna get you killed! Be smart for a change, kill the bitch and collect the reward.'

Without a pause Kavan spun and landed his fist squarely on the side of Olimpiu's big head. Indis screamed for him to stop, darting forward only to be stopped by Wyatt's big arm. Jax lunged in to pull his friend out of the fight, but was there only in time to catch his limp body after Olimpiu's giant hand left its mark on his temple.

'Kavan!' Indis screamed when she saw Kavan's body crumple in Jax's hold.

'No, Indis,' Wyatt scolded, keeping a firm grip on her flailing arms. 'Stay back.'

Jax lowered himself to one knee, supporting Kavan's dead weight with one arm and reaching for a vibroblade in his pocket with another as his enraged boss stalked toward them. Carefully laying his friend's body on the ground he flipped the blade in his hand into a fighting hold and balanced himself on the balls of his feet.

'Jax, don't do anything stupid, son,' Wyatt warned, observing the conflict and calculating the different outcomes. _Please don't do anything stupid_, he thought.

'Wyatt, let me go,' Indis begged, pulling with all of her strength against his hold. 'Please, let me go.'

As Jax shifted his balanced forward and jumped toward the enormous creature, his fist closed tightly around the hilt of his vibrating dagger and extended as if to punch, Wyatt carefully but none too gently pushed Indis toward the opening hallway door. His ears flattened against his hairless head as he heaved himself rapidly forward to protect the small human. Jax was easily thrown aside by the more powerful being, beaten and knocked nearly senseless, but not before gashing a deep and jagged slice into the side of Olimpiu's fatty neck.

Drawn out by the shouts and screams, the twins looked out nervously from the dark hallway, Kari holding a long vibroblade down by her thigh, safely out of view. Dima glanced out in time to see Jax's body veer off it's attack course and knock into one of the tables. Before Kari could stop her, her sister ran out into the large room and was quickly knocked back by Indis's fall.

Olimpiu was beyond reasoning, angered and wounded, now threatened by an equal. Unable to form enough coherent words to make a characteristic threat, he pulled out a small blaster from inside his sleeve and fired it at Wyatt. The bolt which was set high enough to easily kill any humanoid only stunned the bartender who, after three more shots from the weapon, fell heavily backwards and hit his head on the side of the bar.

For a moment the fighting stopped. The club was still and quiet, as if nothing had ever happened there. Shielding the dagger from her boss's eyes, Kari slipped out of the hall to retrieve her sister as Indis surveyed the room. Three individuals had risked themselves for her. Why? Wyatt was bleeding heavily from a wound on the back of his head. He was nothing like her. While she considered him her only father figure, this was his life. She was but a passing breeze in his long life. Jax was just gaining his feet when he was sent back to his knees by a rush of dizziness. He barely knew her. He had his only life, his own love to care for. And Kavan. Kavan's eyes were just beginning to twitch. He almost looked as if he was sleeping, but she knew he was not. The angry lump that grew on the side of his face reminded her of that. Why did he not simply be rid of her? She had done nothing for him, nothing but pull him away from his home, throw him into danger after danger. He deserved more than her, if nothing else to be apart from her.

Kari hissed behind Indis, pulling her attention away from her lover's face. Olimpiu towered over them, no more than three paces away. Behind the shield the three dancers' bodies created Kari discretely activated the vibroblade.

'No, Kari,' Indis whispered, below Olimpiu's hearing range. 'I won't risk you too.'

'But Indis -'

'Please, Kari.' Indis bowed her head slightly, battling for control over herself. 'For me.'

'You,' Olimpiu interrupted loudly, shaking the small blaster pistol at the trio. 'You have cost me a lot of money,' he managed to growl out.

'She also made your little club famous,' Kari snapped, glaring at the fat creature. Dima's eyes trailed from her boss to her lover who was quietly and slowly making his way over to his reviving friend.

'Shut your mouth, you little slut,' he roared, pointing the pistol directly at the fiery Twi'lek. 'You should thank your gods that I don't make the money I deserve from you.'

Kari started her reply, gripping tighter to her weapon and rising to her feet, but she was cut short when Indis rose with her, continuing the cover of the weapon she was not supposed to have, and spoke over her shout.

'It's me you want, the bounty you think the Black Sun will pay you, not them.'

'You're right, it is, and what a pretty price that'll be.' Olimpiu was very nearly drooling at the thought of the unknown number of credits he saw as rightfully his.

'Indie, run,' Kavan's weak voice called from the side.

Dima shook her head, refusing a silent gesture from Jax as Indis darted right and Kari forward with the blade. Olimpiu turned at the sound of Kavan's voice and immediately levelled his blaster and fired it at the dancer. Two bolts hummed through the air and hit their targets. In the seconds that followed an eternity passed in utter chaos. Jax's head snapped toward the door. His eyes widened briefly before moving to stand and defend. Dima's eyes followed Jax's, and her scream echoed in the ears of the combatants at the sight of her sister's body before her. Olimpiu spun as the light from another blaster bolt caught his eye before striking the bouncer's chest. Holding her sister's body to her, Dima was torn and confused when she saw her lover shot. She sobbed quietly and dug her fingers into her sister's night clothes.

Through it all Indis stood with her eyes blurred and her lips parted slightly. She watched Kavan's eyelids open and close rapidly, trying to gain a focal point. She saw his chest heave as his one undamaged lung tried to compensate for the other. The wound immediately cauterized, and there was no blood. It felt surreal, like she was walking in a dream. In their search for vision Kavan's eyes found hers and locked onto them as if they were his one remaining lifeline. When she fell to her knees Indis was at his side. Her eyes, not wanting to part from his, did not blink as her hand gently surveyed the damage the blaster had inflicted.

'I did this to you,' Indis whispered, her ghostly voice barely escaping immobile lips.

Without warning his hand closed over hers, and his chest spasmed. Indis looked down, breaking their eye contact and squeezing her eyes shut as tears pushed their way out. When his body grew still she looked up, returning her eyes to his once more but no longer able to meet his still gaze. Pulling her hand softly from his lax grip Indis reached up and gently touched Kavan's jaw. His lips were loosely parted, relaxed in a way she had never seen them before. When she touched his shoulders they were not the hard, solid blocks she had grown accustomed to, even in his sleep. His brow showed no signs of the stress that seemed to trouble him day by day. He looked peaceful as she leaned forward, her tears falling across his bruised skin. Her lips softly brushed his, gently caressing his, hoping, praying that his would cease their stillness and reply. When they did not Indis's world went dark. She remained that way, bent over him, gently stroking his neck as her tears washed over his lifeless features.

Reality suddenly sharpened and the disbelief in her heart turned to overwhelming pain as Indis clutched her lover's shoulder. Pounding the floor, she called out his name again and again, each time expecting his arm to raise and hold her in an embrace. Yet for all of her pleading Kavan would not hold her.

Still deaf to the world around her, Indis barely noticed the slender hand pulling her arm. The intended effect was to get her to run, but the distraught child could think only of leaving behind her anguish. Looking up through her thick wet lashes, her blue eyes bored into the tinted lens of the bounty hunter's helmet. She saw his gun, held casually, as if he merely guarded the door and had no real intention of using it.

Indis's hand dropped to Kavan's waste, feeling along the edge of his pants for the vibroblade he kept hidden there. Grasping it tightly, she rose slowly to her feet, ignoring the Twi'lek pleading to her. She intended to give the hunter a reason to use his blaster.

Trembling fiercely she tightened her grip and took a step forward, oblivious to the bodies of her friends scattered at her feet. She stood in an empty arena, a broken warrior fighting for the last remnants of her pride. Before her, against the empty backdrop stood her weapon. She took another step forward.

The hunter watched curiously from behind the tint of his visor. He thought of his father, of the day he clutched Jango's empty shell to his chest, pleading with any god who would listen to bring his father back so he would not be alone. He thought of the code of honour his father had lived by, the code passed down from generation to generation. The power of the word, debt, and how every man should live.

For a moment her step faltered. She heard Dima's cries echoing through her skull, the Twi'lek's pleas to the hunter in the doorway to spare Indis's life. Unable to think or act with conscious movement Indis fell to her knees, dropping Kavan's blade as she looked up at the familiar mask. Her dry lips tried to form a word that her voice would not utter. Her body swayed as she knelt unsupported. Her eyes never broke contact with the dark visor as the hunter lifted his blaster and gave her the silence she longed for.

* * *

'Indie,' Kavan whispered somewhere in the still darkness. 'Indie, come on. Wake up.'

Indis opened her eyes, shivering in the cold. The shadow world was a blur as she blinked furiously, her hands holding tight to something warm and secure. As shapes came slowly into focus all she could see were dim shadows, outlines of towering crates and close walls. She felt sick. Her head was light, floating somewhere heavily above her aching body. The knots in her stomach tightened and her body clenched inward, curling her closer into the warmth.

What had happened, where she was, was all a dream, a hellish nightmare. Her very existence hung suspended between shadow and vapour. Two strong arms around her held her back, her only link to the world of the living. Her eyes slowly fell closed as she rested her head against the warmth surrounding her.

'Indie, we have to get out of here,' Kavan whispered again, gently shaking the girl in his arms. 'Please, wake up.' She made a mumbled reply as her body shifted, her head lolling back as the ship's violent vibrations shook them.

Kavan looked around frantically, feeling the effects of the depressurized hold as his vision spun. Gritting his teeth, he gathered his friend closer to him as best he could, using all of his strength to half carry – half drag her past a stack of crates and up towards an opening. She whimpered unconsciously as he held her under the arms, pushing against the airlock desperately. Quickly his thin arms lost their strength and Indis began to slip from his grasp. He stumbled forward, trying to catch her as she fell, landing in a broken heap below him.

A/N: That... really didn't come out as well as I wanted it to, and it's a lot shorter than I had planned. Originally it was a part of chapter 6, but I don't know why I split it up. Sorry for the insane break. Hehe... I'm a terrible person. Cheesy ass cliffhangar again... I need to find a new chapter ending technique.


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